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Truffle - The Precious Fungus
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Truffle does not have any taste in itself, yet it gives out stunning, mesmerizing aroma. Together with caviar and foie gras, the three make “the most exquisite ingredients on the planet”. Dubbed “the diamond of the kitchen”, truffle is without doubt a coveted and precious delicacy. Truffles grow beneath the roots of tree. They vary in species and sizes: totally more than ten species measure from the size of a walnut to that of a human fist.
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Among them, the most famous is the black truffle from France; while the most esteemed is the white truffle found in Italy, which often graces auction fairs. “The diamond of the kitchen” it is, truffle is sensitive to sunlight, moisture and the acidity of soil. Any minute change in these elements will jeopardize the growth of truffle, rendering it extremely prized and precious.
Truffle has long eluded modern technology, only the best noses can trace it. Early truffle hunters extracted truffles from the vast forests with the help of female pigs. A sow duly attracted by the aphrodisiac substance existed within a truffle can unearth lump after lump without any training. Yet it is also a usual intent for the sow to eat the truffles once they are extracted. To avoid any loss of the precious “diamonds”, trained dogs are now used to sniff out truffles. The most interesting is that truffle dogs can pass their skills on to their offspring. With a little more training, the pups can become good truffle dogs too.
Traditional preparation for edible truffle involves slicing it into thins and eating them raw or with pastas or scrambled eggs. It can also be used in preparing potato gratin to add an intoxicating aroma. There are a multitude of “accessible” truffle products in the market such as spaghetti or linguine with truffle, or wine vinegar and tapenade with black truffle, all of them possess the aromatic property of the real truffle. For those who have a sweet tooth, richly aromatic truffle chocolate will be their favourite. It goes well with champagne or red wine. A trivial indulgence it may seem, nevertheless, it represents a discerning and sophisticated taste.
Scarce in production, large lumps of white truffle are as precious as diamond. In an international Italian white truffle auction held in 2009, a single piece weighed 800 gram was sold at US$250,000.
Apart from rareness, its exceptional nutrition value confirmed by recent researches also holds truffle in high esteem. Black truffle is rich in protein, 18 different kinds of amino acid, unsaturated fat, multivitamins and other nutritious substances. It is believed that constant intake of black truffle can boost immunity against illnesses such as influenza. It also entails a skincare property which helps restore radiance and elasticity.
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