DIAMONDS OF THE KITCHEN

TRUFFLES OFFER A REAL CULINARY TREAT

Sometimes called “diamonds of the kitchen,” because of how rare and valuable they can be, tru es have a distinctive aroma and rich taste. They are often associated with fi ne dining and Michelin-starred restaurants because of their steep price tag and their origins in gastronomic destinations of rance and taly. Tru es can cost up to thousands of dollars because they’re di cult to fi nd, grow, and store.

Depending on the type of tru e, they can smell and taste musky, garlicky, sulfury, earthy, or buttery. Tru es tend to look like misshapen, roughskinned potatoes on the outside, but with a fi rm, yet spongy texture on the inside.

CONDITIONS FOR GROWING rowing tru es requires the perfect storm and takes a very specifi c type of calcareous soil and environment, not to mention that they must be foraged for, as they grow anywhere from one inch to fi ve feet underground. nlike other mushrooms that grow on logs or from the ground, tru es need broad-leaved trees, specifi cally oak, ha el, poplar, beech, or pine trees, to grow in what’s called ectomycorrhi al symbiosis. The fungi spores adhere to the roots of trees, which provide nourishment to the fungal symbiont and help them grow. Apart from alkaline soil and the presence of tree roots, scientists still haven’t had a major breakthrough in discovering the conditions to force fungi to make tru es.

Tru es, which are often served over decadent pastas or meat dishes, can cost up to thousands of dollars because they’re di cult to nd, grow, and store.

The black winter tru es from Regalis Foods, shown at left, and the white tru e, shown at right, are the most valuable types of tru es on the market. The black variety has a more earthy avor, while white ones have a nutty sweetness and garlicky funk.

Tru es are really special because they’ve never been successfully cultivated on a commercial scale, says an Purkayastha, founder of egalis oods, an online purveyor of rare and luxury gourmet foods like tru es, caviar, apanese Wagyu, uni, and exotic seafoods. ew ork-based egalis oods supplies 0 of the . .’s Michelin-starred restaurants, including famed Eleven Madison Park and e ernardin, with their tru es and other gourmet goods. They’re the last entirely wild food in existence because it grows underground and has to be found with the aid of a trained animal, says Purkayastha. That, coupled with being a seasonal product and global warming is degrading the annual tru e crop yearly, it’s a precious resource.

BLACK TRUFFLES VS. WHITE TRUFFLES The most valuable tru es are black tru es from rance, particularly southeast regions and the southwest P rigord region, and white tru es from taly, including in northern Piedmont and in central parts of Tuscany and mbria. White tru es have a higher price tag than black tru es, as they are much richer in flavor than black tru es but their scent disappears more quickly. Tru es are also found in Eastern Europe, pain, Australia, and Chile. White tru es should be firm, dry to the touch, and have no soft spots, says Purkayastha, who started foraging mushrooms at the age of 1 in his hometown in Arkansas. lack tru es should be firm, but they can have a bit of give to them. lack tru es have a two- to three-week shelf life, while white tru es have a seven-day shelf life. They should have firmness and a pleasant-smelling aroma, which changes quickly when they start to degrade. t’s common for both dogs and pigs to hunt for tru es. Pigs, with their superior sense of smell, are enticed by beta-androstenol, a steroidal pheromone found in tru es, while select dog breeds are easily trained to hunt out the pungent smell.

HOW TO USE THEM Purkayastha says that black tru es offer more earthy flavors and benefit from gentle heating. e recommends eating black tru es tucked against meats as they roast or shaved into sauces. White tru es, on the other hand, have a nutty sweetness and a garlicky funk and are great for shaving atop dishes as a finishing touch, for example in risotto dishes or pasta with cream sauces. Even sweet dishes, like pastries or ice cream, can be absolutely delightful with white tru es, he says. igh-quality examples of either type of tru e are also fragrant enough to infuse butter with their aroma, simply by storing them both together in a closed container in the fridge. n addition to whole truffles, there are also truffle-infused products, from olive oil to butter and salami and honey. owever, Purkayastha advises doing research if you’re after the real deal. More than of tru e products on the market are flavored with synthetic tru e flavoring, he says, adding that you should steer clear of tru e products with ingredients like tru e aroma or tru e essence.

WETRUF LOOKS TO ADVANCE TRUFFLE FARMING

Despite the di culties in growing tru es, there are companies and individuals dedicated to advancing tru e farming, like rench start-up WeTruf. ounded in 201 by engineer and molecular diagnostics expert lora Todesco and Claude Murat, a fungi biologist and research engineer at AE a public research institute working on the sustainable development of agriculture , WeTruf studies technological innovations to improve the process and improve yields of farming. n collaboration with AE, WeTruf launched a product, p Tracer ne, which measures the soil water potential to help tru e growers manage their watering levels. WeTruf also does molecular diagnostic testing on various tru e species to learn more about this unique mushroom. We are helping farmers use good practices to cultivate their tru es, Todesco says. ecent discoveries include understanding of the tru e life cycle, including sexual production, the influence of the climate, and mycelium growth. This knowledge opens new doors for orchard management, and WeTruf hopes to bring all the new scientific discoveries to tru e growers.

Todesco says that the tru e industry in rance is more dynamic than ever, and she wants to help bring tru e knowledge to the masses. n addition to WeTruf’s water management product, the start-up’s services include tru e farming training, advice on how to begin farming tru es, drafting projects, research, and workshop hosting.