Truffles

Article Index Truffles Page 2 Page 1 of 2 The territory of Orvieto abounds in truffles: black, white, summer and autumn truffles. Quantities of valuable white truffles, the famous Tuber Magnatum Pico, are hidden underground and a special Trade Fair dedicated to this truffle is held the second weekend of November in the town of Fabro, traditionally the capital of this precious tuber. Although not as famous as the white truffle of Alba, the local Magnatum Pico is in no way inferior to the Piedmont variety. In the past it was used in simple traditional dishes such as tagliatelle with pecorino cheese, or to add flavor to an ordinary fried egg. Currently these traditional dishes often appear side by side with more elaborate recipes in the menus of the restaurants of Orvieto. What are truffles? Truffles are subterranean edible fungi which form a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship with the roots of certain trees and plants (oak, poplar, hazelnut, willow, beech and conifer). The part used as food is the ascoma, the fruiting body of the fungus. The best-known truffles are the black Tuber melanosporum and the white Tuber magnatum, both found chiefly in Western Europe. They have a piquant and aromatic flavor and have been considered a delicacy since ancient times; both Greek and Roman recipes using truffles are still extant. History The truffle was probably already known in Babylonian and Egyptian times and was scientifically studied in the third century BC by Theophrastus from Eresus, pupil of Aristotle. The Greeks called it hydnon, the Latins tuber, the Arabs ramech alchamech tufus, the Spanish turma de tierra, or cadilla de tierra, the French truffle, the English truffle and the German Truffel. In his “Historia plantarum” Theophrastus called the truffle an ornament which embellished the table and attributed its origin to rain and thunder. Galens, the first methodical physician, said that truffles were not only a nourishing food but also prepared people for carnal pleasures. This presumed aphrodisiac property was confirmed by the Romans who put the fungus under the patronage of Venus. Caelius Apicius, the first gastronomist, had a great deal to say about truffles and used them in many recipes. In the Middle Ages the truffle was looked at askance because of its strange appearance and its reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac that could lead into temptation and sin. In the Humanistic age, the truffle became the protagonist of all court banquets. In the Renaissance the botanic knowledge of the truffle improved and the most precious species, tuber magnatum and tuber melanosporum were identified. Ever since the truffle has been the king of the table. The truffles found in the forests of Périgord, France, have been highly regarded since the fifteenth century, and their harvesting is an important industry. Some are canned for export. Traditionally pigs were used to locate them, but now dogs are trained to “point” for truffles with the distinct advantage that they are not truffle eaters. Attempts at truffle cultivation have been fairly successful and require the inoculation of the roots of the host plant seedling with fungal spores. T. indicum, a black truffle exported from China, is regarded as inferior to T. melanosporum.   Besides the well-known white and black truffles, there are many other kinds of mycorrhizae, fungi in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of higher plants. The tasty Oregon white truffle, T. gibbosum, for example, grows only on the roots of the Douglas fir tree, which is dependent upon the fungus for its mineral nourishment. Truffles are widely distributed and are found in a wide variety of habitats. Previous - Next >>