Truffles are a natural, annual fungus that grows mainly under the soil near the baleen roots of oak trees. There are about 30 different species, of which white and black truffles are the most delicious. Usually the appearance of the truffle are irregularly shaped balls, some as small as beans, there are as large as Fuji apples, cut to see, the inside is like a maze of marble veins.
Because the truffle is very picky about the growing environment, as long as there is a slight change in sunlight, water or soil pH, it will not be able to grow, which is why the truffle is so rare. Mosso Henri, who has been growing truffles for decades, said the world's best truffles are white truffles from Alba, Italy, which once commanded $35,000 a kilogram, and black truffles from Perigord, France, which cost at least $500 a kilogram.
"White 'diamonds' you can eat ......" "Taste like dirt and garlic, smell like gas, some like cheese, some like onions, but not the same, earthy, tastes like the sensation of cabbage ......" "The smell of heaven ......" are all words used to describe the smell and taste of white truffles. Yes, the white truffle, scientific name Tuber magnatum, is one of the most expensive foods in the world. If black truffles cost as much as gold of the same weight, then the only thing that can match the price of white truffles is probably diamonds.
White truffles are rarer and therefore more expensive than the black winter truffles of France and the truffles of Périgord, and are only grown in Italy and northern Croatia. This white truffle is known as the Grand Duke of truffles. The best of the white truffles can only be found in the Piedmont region of Italy, especially near the town of Elma. White truffles only grow from mid-October to the end of December each year. It is very difficult to find them because they grow in the soil near the roots of trees. Truffle hunters usually use trained hunting dogs to sniff them out. Truffles cannot be farmed in captivity, which is one of the reasons they are so expensive. The price of white truffles fluctuates from year to year, but usually ranges between $800 and $1,500 per pound (453 grams).
Truffles, along with caviar, champagne, oysters and foie gras, mark the most expensive luxury in food. Their price is as much a draw for crowds of diners as their flavor. For the truffle, its legendary aphrodisiac properties also add to the magic of the white truffle.
White truffles are often called white diamonds. One of the reasons for this is that, like diamonds, they look plain and even a little ugly before they are carved and processed. When first dug up, the white truffle looks like a crude, dusty potato. But once cut, it reveals its marbled, ivory-colored pattern and its intoxicating aroma. The heavenly flavor of the white truffle comes mainly from its aroma, so it is usually not heated. The most common way to eat it is to cut it into very thin slices, serve it with fresh egg lasagna and then with a well-mixed marinara sauce, which is as delicious as can be imagined.
Expensive
Truffles are called "diamonds" by the French, and are valued alongside caviar, foie gras and other haute cuisine, the "Big Three" of gastronomy. The unique flavor inherent in truffles makes it an extremely valuable condiment in French and Italian cuisine. I believe that many people have heard of the name truffle, but what is a truffle? In fact, the truffle is a fungus, a kind of growth in the ground under the ascomycetes, and oak trees, green just oak trees and pine tree roots to form an absolute **** born form, therefore, known as ectomycorrhizal fungi (ectomycorrhizae).
The largest white truffle in history was found in 1951, weighing about 4 pounds and selling for about $5,000 at the time. In the days shortly after World War II, $5,000 was precious.
In 2004, the United States held a "Truffle Auction" with truffles as the ultimate foodstuff, using an Internet video link with major restaurants in New York and Los Angeles to allow gourmets in the two cities to place bids. In this auction *** there are three precious Auba truffles in the auction, the most eye-catching is a piece of white truffle from Elba in northern Italy, weighing one kilogram, while the weight of the usual truffle is only one-tenth of its weight, so it is extremely precious. The original bid of $8,000 was immediately raised to $30,000 by chefs from both East and West coasts after being pushed by the hosts of the popular American TV program "The Rich Life". In the end, Pitka, a famous movie director and owner of Bastide restaurant in Los Angeles, beat his rivals to the $35,000 price tag, with the restaurant's director, Porto, telling Europe Daily News: "At one kilogram, $35,000 is a price worth paying for a white truffle." Interestingly, the 9-year-old hound - Genscher IV - who discovered the large truffle, was also represented by his owner in the bidding.