TRUFFLES - ALLAHS PRECIOUS CREATION Small, warty subterranean fungus is one of the world’s most sought-after and expensive delicacies. The rarity in question is the French Périgord truffle, whose exquisite aroma and delicate, musky flavor were prized by gourmets even in Roman times. The traditional Périgord truffle, tiny slices of which are mixed into pâté de Foie Gras (made of the liver of a duck or goose), is black, but there is an even rarer white variety. Finding truffles is an art in itself. The elusive fungi grow about a spade’s depth underground, usually among the roots of an oak tree. Above ground there are very few clues to guide the truffle-hunter – perhaps a crack in the soil made by a particularly large specimen, or a cloud of the small, yellow truffle flies, which lay their eggs on the fungus and help propagate it by dispersing its spores. But the truffle is best located by smell. The best sniffers-out are pigs, although specially trained dogs run them a close second. The truffle hounds of the northern Italian province of Piedmont, where a fine white truffle is found, are especially talented. In Russia, goats and even bear cubs are enlisted in the hunt. Unfortunately, the fungi, which take about seven years to mature, remain in peak edible condition for only about a week. They can be bottled in oil, and even frozen, but preserved truffles lose much of their wonderful aroma. Prices vary, but typical prices are 1000–2200 USD per pound (2000–4500 USD per kg) as of December 2009 they were being sold at 14,203.50 USD per kilogram for the still rarer white variety. To serve truffles baked in pastry, for example, would cost around $88 per portion for the black variety, and $260 per portion for the white. BELOW IMAGE- Périgord Truffle of France
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 02:48:26 +0000
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