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Truffles- A Brief Guide

By: clan apo

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Truffles are a variety of edible fungus that have been cultivated, harvested and eaten for thousands of years, and form an expensive delicacy. Understand them better with this brief guide.

History

The fungi make their appearance thousands of years ago, being eaten by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Sumerians. Even the word truffle is thought to be of Latin origin Truffles were a delicacy even then, largely limited to the upper segments of society. They were also believed at that time to have therapeutic properties. They continued to be popular. In the middle ages, figures such as Pope Gregory IV consumed them, while later figures such as Lord Byron enjoyed them immensely.

The history of this fungus has tended to include a certain amount of mystique, from the ancient insistence on their beneficial properties, to Byron keeping one on his desk as a source of inspiration. Naturally, this mystique has much to do with their scarcity and high price, but might also have something to do with the pleasing nature of their aroma when harvested.

Varieties

There are several varieties in existence, broadly dividing into the categories of black and white truffles. The Alba Truffle is native to the Piedmont area of Italy, growing principally in winter, as does the Black Truffle of the Perigord region of France. China produces three types of truffle, generally in greater quantities than those found in other areas, which has led to the Chinese Black truffle being seen as lower quality than the others, rightly or wrongly. China’s truffles include the prolific Chinese Black Truffle, the Himalayan Black Truffle, and the summer growing Chinese White Truffle. Black summer truffles thrive throughout Europe, including the UK.

Growth and Harvesting

Generally truffles grow near to the roots of trees, particularly those such as oak. This is necessary for them, since they are unable to undertake photosynthesis, and must gain nutrients from nearby plants. The time when they grow will vary from species to species, but is most commonly through the autumn and winter except in a few specific varieties.

When ready to be harvested, the truffle emits a strong smell, difficult for humans to detect at any distance but easily picked up with the aid of animals such as pigs or dogs. The pig is the more traditional animal when hunting for this fungus, since it searches for it naturally in the wild, but it can be tricky to restrain from eating the truffle once found. Dogs require more initial training, but are commonly used by truffle harvesters for their ease of control.

There have long been attempts to cultivate the truffle artificially, with mixed success. More recently, it has been introduced to places such as Australia and New Zeeland,

Price

Truffles are generally very expensive. Well, one 1.2kg truffle fetched a record 95 000 Euros ($112 000) in a 2005 auction. More commonly, a kilogram of truffle is likely to cost at least a thousand dollars, with prices commonly one and a half times that.

Use

Accordingly, the use of truffles in cooking is sparing. Generally, only shavings from them are used, most commonly as toppings for pasta or salad. They can also be used as part of the stuffing for meat dishes, but again, the amounts involved are generally small.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

If you want to buy truffle mushrooms, whether white truffle, black autumn truffles or black winter truffles, then visit trufflehunter.co.uk.

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