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Adored by many, and despised by some, truffles are probably one of the most polarising ingredients out there. These delicacies have been coined the \u201cdiamonds of gastronomy\u201d, for both their unique flavour and eyebrow-raising price tags.<\/p>\n
\n“But not all truffles are born equal, and as with any luxury industry, there are black markets, fraudulent deals, and cheap fakes.” \u2013 Caitlin Kennedy<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
With local truffle season on the horizon, here\u2019s a guide to understanding this remarkable product.<\/p>\n
A brief history of the truffle<\/h3>\n
\nTruffle appreciation is ancient and came with a good dose of mysticism. Desert truffles are thought to be the \u201cmanna from heaven\u201d described in the Old Testament. The Khoi Khoi told tales of eggs laid by lightning birds during storms. There are records of truffles being served to Roman Emperors in the First Century and European royalty since the Dark Ages.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the truffle boom was closely linked to the phylloxera epidemic of the 1800s, which destroyed most of the grape vines in Europe. Desperate farmers turned to foraging truffles and gradually began to understand the relationship between truffles and trees. Production increased, to the point where they briefly became accessible to the middle class. However, after World War Two, many secrets of truffle cultivation were lost and natural habitats were destroyed. Since the 1980s, scientists have been rediscovering the forgotten arts of cultivating truffles, but they are still rare enough to remain highly coveted.<\/p>\n
So, what is a truffle?<\/h3>\n
\nBasically, it’s a subterranean fungus.<\/p>\n
Truffles all grow underground, and, with the exception of desert truffles, only in symbiosis with hardwood trees such as oaks. They are traditionally sniffed out by \u2018trufflers\u2019 \u2013 either pigs (who unfortunately are likely to consume a fair proportion of the crop), or trained dogs. Truffles are highly seasonal and very specific about the environment in which they grow. They begin to lose their pungent aroma the moment they are unearthed, and so have a very short shelf life – no more than five days for the most valuable varieties. All of these factors contribute to their hefty price as much as their unique flavour does.<\/p>\n
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A post shared by Paul Miros (@woodfordtruffles)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n