Truffle is a kind of wild mushrooms symbiotic with certain species of
trees, mostly oak, chestnut, hazelnut and beech. This is one of the
most expensive culinary delicacies: the price of white truffles
sometimes reaches as much as 6-10 thousand dollars per kilogram. The
word originates from Latin word tuber (growth, expansion). A truffle
has round shape which is never the same, and can be of various sizes.
In color it can be black, dark brown, gray and even white. Truffles
grow in calciferous or clay soil, almost on the surface (less than 30
cm under the ground). Truffle industry of France (mostly in the
southeast and southwest of the country) was undergoing a sharp decline
in the beginning of 20 century because of deforestation, deterioration
of soil quality and use of pesticides. Before 1914 regular harvest of
truffles in the province of Perigord was 1800 tons; now no more than
200 tons is gathered in the whole France. This figures show how
impractical it became to use truffles in classical recipes.
Truffle has been known and appreciated since ancient times. Egyptians
cooked it covered with goose fat. Ancient Greeks and Romans were of
the opinion that truffle has therapeutic and aphrodisiac properties.
The last belief was quite strong also in 19 century, when Alexander
Dumas wrote about truffles: "Under certain circumstances they are able
to make a woman more affectionate and a man more passionate". Until
the beginning of 18 century the origin of truffles was shrouded in
mystery. Plutarch says in his description of thunder: "Lightning, when
touching the ground, sends growth to truffles, which are unlike
plants." In the Middle Ages it was common to think that truffles come
from the devil - that's how they fell into oblivion. But at the time
of Renaissance the public opinion rehabilitated them, and they have
decidedly come into fashion under Louis XIV. The king's cook
recommended to make a stew out of dried or raw truffles (washed,
cooked in wine and seasoned with salt and pepper) and serve it between
fish and roast meat on a napkin or on a plate with flowers. In 1711
French botanists have completely justified the assignment of truffle
to the class of mushrooms. The practice of using pigs with the sense
of smell necessary for finding truffles was common in 17 century. Also
some breeds of dogs were used. People, too, were able to find places
where a truffle was hiding - these were peasants living in
truffle-inhabited areas. Nowadays truffles are found with the help of
animals (dogs or pigs). In some cases the trajectory of an insect's
flight can tell about a truffle's location. While holding the animal
on the leash, one has to closely watch its work to put it aside at the
right moment and not to let it dig the ground and harm the mushrooms.
Upon digging the truffle out by hands, one leaves immature mushrooms
and flattens the ground not to attract the attention of poachers.
Truffles still remain goods that are sold by a piece. They are not
sown and not farm-grown. They get conceived spontaneously, when
mushroom spores and mildew get connected with the roots of oak (or
another symbiotic tree) and form a mycorrhiza feeding on the tree's
nutrients.
There are known 70 kinds of truffles total; 32 of them occur in
Europe. The most precious is black Perigord truffle, which ripens
after the first frost. This kind has body of black color with pale
veins and emits strong aroma. Actually, it can be also found in other
provinces in France and even outside it, in Tuscany, Piemonte and
Aragon. "Saint-Jean", or otherwise truffle d’ete - dark brown truffle
with white veins; gray truffle of Champagne and Burgundy; brown Alsace
truffle with black veins - they are all less fragrant than terfez - a
snow white truffle of North Africa growing in Atlas Mountains.
White Piemonte truffle is especially popular. It has an exquisite
aroma (especially the truffle from Alba region). The season of this
kind is from October to December. It is served with capon, veal and
sometimes with lobster. It is also eaten as a main dish, cooked in
Asti, sprinkled with Parmesan and seasoned with lemon juice. Sauce
made from Piemonte truffles, butter, cream, garlic and anchovies, is
poured over spaghetti or vegetables. Truffle is also eaten raw, grated
or cut into thin slices with the use of a special device; it is served
as a side dish for grilled meat, chicken, ravioli or risotto.
Truffle is mentioned in all recipes where the word Perigord appears;
it can be meat, chicken, pate, ground meat, blood sausages, egg dishes
or salads. One famous gastronomist said: "If you like eggs and you
have a few truffles at home, put them together - and as early as the
next morning you will have for breakfast the best boiled eggs you've
ever tried."
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