Fresh Truffles in the Bay Area- Black and White

[Macarons&Mozart]

Hey all,

I was wondering what are the best places to get fresh black and white truffles (esp. French/Italian, even other varieties like domestic ones)? Are there any places in the Bay Area (I live in the South Bay, but will drive all over) with particularly good (and relatively inexpensive) fresh truffles?

Thanks!

Robert

[Risi e Bisi]

I have seen fresh Oregon truffles thru the S.F. produce terminal, but I can't get alot of information about them. Pretty weak in comparison to their european cousins, but sell for about $40 an ounce.

[Carolyn Tillie]

The mushroom dealer at the Ferry Plaza. Expensive as this is mostly a pretty bad truffle season, they are small and generally considered not worth the price.

[ermintrude]

Well in the UK (London) had some great (and a decent price) black perigord truffles weeks twice in twio weeks - 2 small ones (£20) and one 1.4 incher (£50) but the price of white truffles was so high I had to skip.

Edited December 4, 2007 by ermintrude (log)

[ermintrude]

they are small and generally considered not worth the price.

I've known a good white truffle 1/4 of an inch in size to stink out a 5 bedroom house - and also seen a large (black) truffle be disappointing. Size is important as less cleaning and a larger slice but a good truffle will punch above it's weight.

Edited December 4, 2007 by ermintrude (log)

[MaxH]

I have seen fresh Oregon truffles thru the S.F. produce terminal, but I can't get alot of information about them. Pretty weak in comparison to their european cousins, but sell for about $40 an ounce.

That can't be the price of domestic truffles -- but it sounds low for European (i.e. classic or standard) truffles. Unless there's huge demand for the Oregon species, or a lot more US people have recently been induced to confuse them with European types. I last saw Oregon Whites for instance at $2 per truffle, at an ounce or a bit less, one or two winters ago on the lower peninsula, in good condition and pleasant, but admittedly the vendor was having trouble selling them.

Now the main information: Chief source of fresh prime wild mushrooms for everybody on the SF peninsula and south bay (if not the whole Bay Area), wholesale, but also sells online and by appointment, is also the most enthusiastic (and maybe the tallest) too, The King of Mushrooms. I've met the guy, he is a mycophile gone big-time. I haven't gotten truffles from him, but he'd certainly know and likely be a main source of any local varieties (which, beware, are apt to be nothing like the famous "black" and "white" truffles of Europe, the kind ermintrude refers to -- and Escoffier and Colette and A J Liebling and Waverly Root and Brillat-Savarin and Marcel Rouff and Paula Wolfert and Marcella Hazan and ... -- but very few species are). He may have import sources however, and would certainly know where they are if anyone would in Northern California. (20 years ago I could tell you precisely where to get or order the best European truffles in the East Bay -- same places Chez Panisse got them -- but that information is out of date.)

If you can link up with this source, you will have far better selection than any retailer I've heard of, and one less level of handling and markup.

[hapacooking]

Although I haven't checked yet this year, Draegers usually has white and black truffles at very high prices. Not sure if all the stores carry them but I have seen them at the San Mateo store in the past.

[hapacooking]

I saw today that Draegers in Los Altos has a very nice white truffle for sale, 0.04oz for $236, which is based on their price of $5900/lb. OUCH!

[Carolyn Tillie]

I saw today that Draegers in Los Altos has a very nice white truffle for sale, 0.04oz for $236, which is based on their price of $5900/lb. OUCH!

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And they are NOT tasting good this year.... Seriously.

[hapacooking]

I saw today that Draegers in Los Altos has a very nice white truffle for sale, 0.04oz for $236, which is based on their price of $5900/lb. OUCH!

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And they are NOT tasting good this year.... Seriously.

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Yes that is what the produce manager told me also. He said they had very little flavor this year.

BTW, a typo in my post it was 0.64oz for $236