Truffle is a type of gourmet mushroom whose fruits are located underground. These mushrooms are especially appreciated. The cost of a kilogram of real truffles starts at $ 800 and sometimes goes up to several thousand.
Types of truffles
There are hundreds of types of truffles, but the most valuable are the black and white varieties. They are summer and winter. In Europe, the most common black and white winter varieties.
The black winter truffle appears in November and shows its maximum taste at the end of January. It is mainly found in Italy, Spain and France. This truffle grows alongside birch and oak trees. This type of truffle is black-brown on the outside and red-brown on the inside. The most expensive is the Perigord truffle in France. Its value lies in its strong, persistent, distinctive odor and slightly nutty taste.
White truffles are more rare than black ones. It is found in Umbria and Piedmont in Italy and has a brown skin and light flesh with red veins. The aroma of white truffles is more pronounced than black ones, but it is not as persistent and quickly disappears.
Truffle collection process
Collecting truffles is a very complicated process. They are usually harvested at night because their pungent odor is easier at night. Pigs or dogs are used to search for truffles. Dogs are prepared for this process from birth: puppies are fed milk with broth or truffle tincture. Then the animals are trained: pieces of wood, rubbed with truffles, are hidden around the room, which the animals must find. Then, instead of a room, they use a courtyard and a vegetable garden, and then they go out into the forest. Pigs do not require such complex preparation. They have a very sensitive sense of smell and therefore find truffles without any problems. But because of the aroma of mushrooms, pigs fall into such bliss that it is very difficult to take them away from the place of discovery later.
The truffle harvest is very different from year to year. In years of poor harvest, truffle prices can increase several times. Such a high price for truffles is due not only to the laborious process of collecting them, but also to the fact that they have no analogues in the world and cannot be obtained in any other way.
Delicacy storage
Truffles have a very short shelf life, so they must be eaten fresh to experience the uniqueness of their taste. Truffles are sold out very quickly during the season, and connoisseurs specially come to Italy and France to enjoy this rare delicacy.
Still, truffles can retain their flavor and aroma in a special oil. These mushrooms are later used as an addition to other dishes. Sometimes truffles are stored in rice, after which a very unusual risotto is made from it. Even less often, truffles are frozen. But the cost of such a product is much less than that of a fresh one.
