Truffles: the most costly ingredient known to man

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Posted 02-02-2009 at 01:30 PM by Second Letters

No I am not talking about the chocolate candies as some might presume. I am referring to the priciest fungus on Earth. I myself, a week ago, did not know much about this indulgent ingredient. That was until I was given the option to gain knowledge of such a thing, in my culinary arts class. I did a bit of research and found them to be quite intriguing. One cannot just go out to a farm and expect to find these rare fungi. Truffles are grown underground and only in certain parts of the world. Black truffles are harvested in France whereas the white can be found in Italy. Also, Oregon and Washington grow them but it’s best to get them from Europe. Fall and winter are the fortunate seasons that bear these exceptional fungi. As we all know, truffles cost more than an arm and a leg, sometimes even more than your grandma’s shiny new car. They can be priced anywhere from $400 to 2,000 per pound. Even the process of locating truffles is difficult. For this very reason female pigs are used to sniff them out. However, pigs love to eat them so in modern times canines are used as their replacements since they do not consume them. Another way to scope them out is to find Suillia fly eggs because they are fond of laying their eggs above truffles. Ordinary facts I found it to be very attention-grabbing that the truffle is considered to be an aphrodisiac. Black truffles have what is called 5-alpha-androstenal, a sex hormone related to testosterone found in female urine and male underarm perspiration. This is also why female pigs are used instead of males to sniff them out. The aroma of the truffles reminds them of the male pig and so they are attracted to them. A miscellaneous thought is that ancient Greeks used to believe that truffles formed when lightning struck damp soil. Common uses for truffles are omelets and risotto. Just last week I had the rare opportunity to experience this astonishing ingredient. My culinary instructor, Chef Berman, prepared for us mashed potatoes with truffle oil, risotto, and bread with truffle-flavored butter. I personally did not care for the potatoes however, the risotto and the bread, especially the bread, was an unfamiliar explosion of flavor in my mouth. It was not too overbearing but yet still left a flavor on my pallet. I anticipate the next time I will be provided the chance to encounter this unique ingredient!

-Leanna K.