Published: May 12, 2009 05:15 pm      

RANDOM THOUGHTS: No one knows the truffles I've seen

Last week this column was all about geocaching, but for centuries Mother Nature had her own version of that popular fun hunt. In her version there were fewer clues to finding treasure and instead of a GPS those early hunters used a pig to sniff for the cache. The hunt was successful when the pig smelled the aroma of truffles in their subterranean hideaway.

Even Pliny the early Roman author spoke of truffles in glowing words. This edible fungus, a rootless delicacy, grows about a foot underground at the roots of trees. It takes at least five years before they are gathered but they are best at 8 to 10 years and once found, unless they are prepared in under 72 hours, although 24 hours is preferable, they rapidly disintegrate.

Truffles grow in France, Spain, northern Italy and Croatia. The white truffle is gathered from October to December in Italy and sells for $1800 a pound. The black truffle is found in France and Spain from December to early March and costs $1000 a pound. Several years ago a 1.9 pound black truffle was sold to a group of celebrities during a charity auction in London for $52,000! Unfortunately it had been displayed too long and was beginning to rot before it could be cooked.

Pigs are no longer used to find truffles because they had a taste for the delicacy and ate them. Instead dogs know the smell and they find them for their owner to do the harvesting. American chefs are delighted to pay $62 an ounce for black truffles. They are very particular that the shape is not knobby so they can clean and shave the truffle into a perfect round. The size is important but above all is the unmistakable aroma. For wealthy truffle lovers a Boston chef prepares ordinary mac ‘n cheese smothered in a velvety truffle sauce for $32.

A few Americans have found the truffle business attractive in spite of being on the dangerous side. It has been described as being similar to the drug trade. Those who have the truffles are suspicious of those wanting to buy and it takes time to build trust. Once that is established the critical timing of gathering, cleaning and transporting them by air while they are still palatable is all important.

In the United States the closest mushroom lovers can come to a truffle hunt is that most-maddening-to-find morel. Among the more than 5000 kinds of fungi this umbrella-shaped morel is a short-lived subterranean, delicately-flavored treat found in the spring. There are yellow and black varieties that tempt hordes of hunters to search for them in the forest.

The Midwest has been called the morel capital of North America and a number of Morel Hunting Clubs can be found in several states in that area of the country. Available for such a short time the morel’s rich nutty flavor makes it a gourmet item. It has little to offer in food value other than its delicate flavor.

The morel, like the truffle, is prized by chefs. For those who are unsuccessful in hunting morels, groceries in morel country can sell a pound of them for $50.

Of course the truth is people don’t have to be hunting anything to get the benefit of a good walk outside.