| Truffles I am often asked about Truffles: where do they come from ? what is the difference between white and black? what are summer truffles? is the expensive oil worth it? I have come up with my abridged version of truffle basics. First you should know that truffles come from several parts of the world, and as there is such an international demand, more sources will be forthcoming in the future. Right now Truffles come from France, Italy, Germany, Morocco, China and Oregon. There is a guy in New Mexico that grows the French Black Truffle hydroponically in a greenhouse setting. There are others creating a similar market and these are called “cultured truffles.” I am very skeptical of that kind of “factory” production. Regardless of where they originate, all truffles vary in quality and price is a true indicator. The Truffles with the most flavor and purest quality come from Italy. France is a close second and Oregon third. The Chinese, German and Moroccan truffles are good for cold condiments but should not be used for cooking as they loose their aroma when heated. Truffles grow under the soil at the base of specific trees and are located by either a pig or a dog. All truffles must be harvested by hand because of their sensitive structure and value. Different truffles have different harvest seasons. It is useful to know this schedule as truffles begin to loose their aroma as soon as they are pulled from the ground. The farther a truffle has to travel the less flavorful it will be. Truffles are often stored in rice, bland & heavily filtered oil, and corn meal. Inferior or older truffles are blended with mushrooms, oil and an assortment of other ingredients to make items such as Tartufato and pate. Truffle harvests are as follows: Italian White: found under oak trees in the Piedmonte region in mid-Autumn Italian Black: found under oaks trees in the Umbria region in late-Autumn French Black: found under oaks trees in Northern regions in late Autumn Oregon White: found under certain pine trees around Eugene in both early spring and the entire winter Oregon Black: found under certain pine trees in Central Oregon in early spring “Summer Truffles”: mild to completely bland and found in Italy, Croatia, China, Germany, England and the Shaharan dessert - harvested in a variety of ways through mid to late spring German: found under oak, polar and beech trees, usually in late spring to early summer Chinese: don’t bother with these truffles, produced in a variety of ways usually in summer Moroccan: found under oak trees close to the Sahara regions in late summer to early Autumn As a general rule, I prefer white truffles (from Northern Italy or Oregon) for garnish and black truffles for cooking. The White truffles have an ethereal aroma that you should not blend or mask with any other flavors. They should be served with a mild starchy dish such as a white risotto, roasted or boiled potatoes, fresh flat egg pastas, eggs and mild dairy such as young pecorinos, goat cheeses, young mixed milk cheeses and Parmesean. I do not approve of blending white truffles with mushrooms as some restaurants do to stretch out their dollar. Black truffles are great for cooking. I think they have a strong earthy flavor and work well with certain ingredients such as mushrooms, all dairy, field and garden greens, beef, fall squashes, anchovies, olives and herbs such as thyme, sage, mint and tarragon. Truffle oils are very popular these days. But unless you actually see a small piece of truffle in the bottle your oil is probably made with an aromatic chemical called “2,4-dithiapentane.” Don’t be fooled with these oils. They may work well for garnish - and many chefs use them around the world - but do not hold up to cooking temperatures. Another good thing to keep in mind is any oil claiming to be truffle oil made with extra virgin olive oil can also be a waste of money and produce a disappointing recipe. There are a lot of vendors who just want to inflate the value of their product without a sense of its culinary worth. Extra virgin olive oil should have a strong aroma and flavor that can compromise the truffle aroma. I think a good quality filtered olive oil (not 1st cold press) is best for real truffles, especially white. My favorite truffle dishes use exclusively the Italian truffles. I love a fresh salad of zucchini ribbons, shaved parmesean and drizzled white truffle oil. Breakfast of ricotta & semolina pancakes with white truffle powder is divine. I also love white truffles shaved over fresh sea salt and roasted potato focaccia . The Umbrian black truffle is magnificent in dishes such as sauteed field bitter greens with penne and shaved over a duxelle stuffed beef filet. |
