The Appeal of Truffles

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 2:32 AM

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President Truman, Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe were all reputedly truffle lovers and the ancient Romans and Greeks considered truffles to be an aphrodisiac as well as have healing powers. The 18th century French politician Brillat-Savarin described truffles as “the diamond of the kitchen” and the poet Lord Byron consumed them for inspiration. And as everyone knows, truffles are not cheap – in 2009, a truffle weighing just over one and a half pounds sold for $150,000. But just what is it about these tiny mushrooms which are usually found in the middle of the night by a pig or a dog, that makes them so highly sought after and valuable?

Throughout history, food and drink that is scarce or difficult to grow or harvest has been regarded as prestigious or valuable – a rare vintage of wine, caviar or Japanese Kobe beef. One of the reasons truffles are so expensive is that they are difficult to find and only grow in certain places. Truffles grow underground close to the roots of several different types of tree, including the oak, pine, poplar and beech and also prefer soil that is well drained. They can be found in parts of northern Italy, central France and various other parts of Europe and Asia, as well as in the Pacific Northwest. The prized black truffle is found almost exclusively in parts of southern France and Spain, while the even more valuable white truffle is only found in the Perigord region of France.

Truffles haven’t always been the rare and precious delicacy that they are today. French farmers and peasants enjoyed them regularly during the 18th century – despite the fact that the same truffles were fetching high prices in Paris food markets, where they were perceived to be an occasional and lavish treat. Louis the XIV also declared his fondness for truffles and they became popular among the noble classes of the time, as both their flavor and aroma were considered to be exotic.

Truffles were also cultivated in rural France during the 19th century, although the combined effects of growing industrialization and the First World War meant that they became almost impossible to produce and consequently far more expensive. Today, despite various experiments, no effective way has been found to cultivate them in large amounts; authentic truffles are still found by specially trained pigs or dogs, only adding to the allure and making the whole process expensive and labor-intensive. This cost is then passed on to the consumer – truffles from Europe typically sell in the United States for between $1,000 and $2,000 per pound.

However, truffles aren’t just revered due to their scarcity; they also have a wonderful and unique taste that has contributed to their popularity and reputation. It’s fair to say that truffles don’t taste quite like any other food, although they do have a rich earthy and garlicky aroma to them and a flavor more delicate than their appearance would suggest. Truffles are perhaps an acquired taste – although once you have acquired it, you can enjoy one of the world’s most sought after and celebrated foods.