Unlike mushrooms above ground, truffles rely entirely on animals to eat them as a means of spore dispersal. That is how truffle fungi spread and reproduce. And how do they do that exactly? Well, by smelling good of course! As truffles mature they develop odors and send off gasses and pheromones that signal to the surrounding wildlife that there is something tasty hidden under the soil. We like to eat them for the same reasons a chipmunk might.