Maybe it was the cute little pile of pigs at the Topsham fair that made me want to write about truffles. I’m also always on the hunt for something to eat that I can find in the wild.

When most people think of truffles, they think of those prized but ugly little treasure nosed up by pigs in the woods that have an earthy flavor. Or maybe they think of decadent chocolates filled with a variety of creams and other treats. It turns out, however, that “truffle” refers to any number of sought-after treats. One that I wasn’t aware of until recently is the “sea truffle.” This, too, refers not to just one type of truffle but instead to more than one marine culinary treasure.

The first is a type of truffle found in the sea is a type of shellfish, Venus verrucosa. Like many species of truffles, it has a beautiful flavor but not a beautiful appearance. As its name suggests (verrucosa), it is lumpy looking and is therefore also referred to as a warty Venus clam. It’s a smallish, chunky clam with rough ridges on the top of its shell and lumps or “warts” on its edges. But this sea truffle doesn’t live in Maine. It is native to European and Southern African coastal waters where it is an expensive treat that is typically eaten raw or baked.

The second type of sea truffle is one that we do have in Maine — and it is often found in intertidal areas. Vertebrata lanosa is an inconspicuous, bushy, little, red algae that feels somewhat fibrous between the fingers. It looks similar to other tufted seaweeds, but its flavor makes it distinctive — and sought after. Vertebrata lanosa is harvested by hand and then dried. Then, it can be sprinkled over various dishes to lend an umami-like flavor. It has high levels of organic sulfuric compounds that give it that profile. In addition, like many other seaweeds, it has myriad health benefits, the least of which not being that it can serve as a substitute for salt, thus reducing sodium content in the dishes where it is used.

Vertebrata lanosa grows attached to rockweed, those long-fronded seaweeds that drape over the rocks and swish back and forth over tidepools. It doesn’t just grow on rockweed types some of the time — it always does, which makes it unique among the red algae species. It also makes it difficult to cultivate unlike many other types of Maine seaweeds. There have been some efforts to cultivate it, particularly in other parts of the world where it grows in the wild. In Norway, for example, some progress has been made in lab culture of the species. For now, however, it is only harvested in the wild.

If you’re not able to find sea truffle on your own or want enough of it to use in a recipe, you can buy it through Maine Coast Sea Vegetables. There are a number of recipes on their website as well that suggest what you can make with it. Their dried sea truffle is really delicious sprinkled on a poached egg. But it’s always fun to explore the seashore with a bit of a mission and to learn about a new species that might otherwise go unnoticed among the more common intertidal life.

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.