Truffles

The sad but true association that most people first make when they think of truffles is not flavor or fragrance but money. Indeed, truffles are expensive (currently about $25 an ounce in New York) and can only be consumed at special times. Yet on those occasions there are few foods as capable as the truffle in turning an important moment into a memorable one. Part of the reason for their cost is that demand far outstrips supply. Truffles cannot be mass-produced: The French have synthesized truffles, but the real thing is far superior. Truffles are tubers that grow underground, attached to the roots of trees such as oaks, poplars, and chestnuts. In Italy black truffles are found near Spoleto and Norcia in Umbria, and white or lavender truffles grow near Alba in Piedmont. Sensitive dogs or pigs are employed to sniff for truffles. There is a school for truffle hounds in Piedmont in the town of Rodi. If you are going to spend money to buy a truffle (which is often stored in rice that you should later cook and eat), invest a few extra dollars to purchase a proper truffle shaver. These may be found in specialty shops or ordered by mail. Nowadays it is also possible to buy Umbrian truffle paste in tubes. It is expensive, of course, but is logical if you want to spread truffle flavor around.