Desert truffles are Libya's 'manna from heaven'

White truffles are coveted as a delicacy in Libya and abroad, especially in the Gulf countries. [AFP]

Braving the cold and hostile Libyan desert, Milad Mohammed scratches the ground to extract what he calls "manna from heaven" -- white truffles coveted as a delicacy at home and abroad.

The fungus known locally as "Terfas" is the only thing, besides some wild grass, that grows under the desert sands nurtured by the combined effect of rain and cold temperatures at night.