A fleshy fungus

Truffles can be found in many New Zealand locations

Truffles are known to be the most valuable fungus in the world. The highest price ever paid for a locally New Zealand grown Perigord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) was in the region of NZ$9,000 per kilogramme. Usually prices range between $3,000 and $3,500 per kg and the harvest is never enough to meet the demand.

The truffle fungus grows on roots of a host tree, most commonly host oak and hazel trees. It lives in a symbiotic relationship with the tree, where the fungus helps the tree extract nutrients from the ground and the tree provides the truffle fungus with carbohydrates.

The White (Alba) Truffle (Tuber magnatum) comes from Italy and most famously from the countryside around Alba. The flesh is pale cream or brown with white marbling. White truffles are slightly bigger than black truffles and command higher prices. The most ever paid for a single white truffle was $US330,000 for a 1.5kg truffle found near the city of Pisa.

Truffles have been successfully grown in many locations in New Zealand from Mid Canterbury in the South Island to Bay of Plenty in the North Island.

While truffles have been grown commercially for over 100 years the science of truffle growing is still not fully understood. This is because it is as a result of a complex symbiotic relationship between the soil, the fungus, the tree and the climate that all happens underground out of sight.

Cooking tips

• Quantity: For most dishes you will require 8 – 12 grams per person. A starter will want less than a main course. A 50 gram truffle is about the size of a large hen’s egg. A 100 gram truffle is about the size of a tennis ball.

• Keep it simple: Truffles are most appreciated in simple recipes. Avoid using with ingredients with strong flavours or smells as the truffle flavour will be lost. Simple foods like pasta, rice, eggs or potatoes bring out the delicious truffle flavour.

• Shaving and Slicing: A truffle slicer/shaver helps you slice your truffle into paper-thin slices. This gives the most truffle flavour and gets the most servings out of your truffle. In some recipes, a grater or microplane is used.

• Avoid a lot of heat: Don’t cook them too much or you will drive off much of the flavour and aroma. If using in a hot dish, such as a soup or sauce, slice or grate the truffle in just before serving or warm briefly in a little oil.

• Use quickly: The strength of the truffle flavour will naturally decrease over time. n

The Black truffle or Black Périgord Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is named after the Périgord region in France. It is harvested in late autumn and winter. The world’s largest truffle market is at Richerenches in Vaucluse in southeast France.