Truffles (Black)

Import. If you can’t get the fresh, black Perigord beast out from one of this country’s pitifully few purveyors, consider using the excellent vacuum packed ones that are now imported in little jars from Spain. The scent and flavour of truffle is sexy, rank, foxy, sweaty, scrotal, musty and elusive; if you’re not going to put enough in a dish, there’s no benefit in putting any in at all. Once you’ve experienced the subterranean funghus at its headiest, you’d have to have a shaved tongue not to understand what all the expense and fuss is about.