In Search of Truffles

If any single food inspires passion, mystery, and sheer gastronomic pleasure, it is the truffle.  Adored by chefs and gourmands the world over, the truffle is not actually a mushroom, but a fungus that grows underground, mostly within the root systems of oak, poplar and willow trees as well as hazelnut bushes.

Why all the fuss over a fungus?  Truffle aficionados will tell you that the scent of a white truffle – earthy and somewhat garlic-y, with notes of damp woods – is a perfume like no other, permeating all the senses. And the taste:  absolutely out of this world.  So powerful is the truffle that the ancient Romans called it the “noble mushroom” and believed that truffles grew under trees that the god Jupiter had struck with a lightning bolt.  Today, truffles are precious because they take at least 10 years to mature, cannot be cultivated, and are extremely scarce – it takes an expert many hours to find them – leading to prices that can reach a whopping $1,000 per pound.

There are approximately 50 varieties of truffles, yet few are suitable to eat, and preference is a black and white issue.  Whether it is a matter of personal taste or geographical loyalty, gourmets are divided over which is better:  the black truffle or the white truffle. Black truffles can be found all over the world, but white truffles are mostly limited to Italy, particularly in the Piemonte and Toscana regions. 

The white truffle (Tuber magnatum), also called the Alba truffle, is the most sought-after and arguably the most delicious in the world.  In Alba, a charming turreted medieval town in the Tanaro River valley of the Piemonte, the white Alba truffle is in season from September through December, when the local truffle hunters, or trifulau, take to the woods for the annual harvest.

The Hunt for White Gold

The hunt for truffles in and around Alba has all of the elements of an espionage thriller:  the trifulau carefully guard their secret areas where experience and instinct tells them truffles are growing; they use half-breed dogs with a valuable, keen sense of smell to sniff out the truffles under trees; and they hunt under cover of darkness to keep competitors from discovering their secrets and to allow the dogs to best concentrate their sense of smell.  Some even go so far as to use only dark-colored cars and dogs with dark coats to avoid discovery in the woods by competitors.

When a dog sniffs out the truffle, the hunter will use a spade-like tool called a sapin to dig the truffle from the ground.  When the dawn arrives, the truffle hunters will return from the hunt with the earth-encrusted truffles, each weighing from two to four ounces. Immediately – because a fresh truffle stays that way for less than 10 days – the professional truffle hunters will then sell the truffles directly to chefs and retailers around the world.

Because truffles are such a precious commodity, some less-than-reputable business dealings can occur, including swindling, smuggling and racketeering.  Usually, top chefs and retailers are loyal to a regular trifualu, who can be relied on to deliver the real thing.

Truffles are eaten raw, usually in shavings that are grated directly over a dish with a special truffle grater.  Truffles are fantastic with risotto, eggs, pasta, or raw beef.  If truffles are new to you and you would like to experience their undeniable magic, look for restaurants in your area that celebrate the truffle season; try hosting your own truffle dinner party with family and friends (a good source of fresh and preserved truffles is www.urbanitruffles.com), or best of all, pay a visit to Alba during the annual Fiero del Tartufo (Truffle Fair).

Alba is a food-lover’s paradise, and during the fair, they descend upon the town to sample its fantastic restaurants (featuring fresh truffle-laden dishes, of course) and shops stocked with hard-to-find foods.  Displays of truffles, a bareback mule race, wine-tasting, and a wonderful parade are just a few of the delights in store for travelers-turned-truffle-hunters.