The Dark Side of the Truffle Trade

[Klamp]

Another story about truffles came out this week. Interesting video if you have the time to watch.

http://cookingdistrict.com/cd/general.nsf/blogbydate/B303D24C1EDBE1BF85257982005D5888?OpenDocument

alternate link: CBS Link

[Mallet]

Fascinating! I had no idea that chinese truffles even existed, nevermind were an invasive species!

[Dave Hatfield]

Thanks for posting that. I'm going to make sure my truffle growing friends see it.

[Broken English]

That was a great story.

I'd never thought about it, but it makes a lot of sense it'd be targeted by organised crime and dodgy characters.

The part I didn't quite get is why the Chinese truffle species is inferior, the story just said the truffles are crap because they're harvested whenever they're found, not when they're ripe, and that has nothing to do with the actual truffle, just poor farming.

[ermintrude]

Chinese truffles have a much weaker aroma and flavour, even when ripe. Nothing wrong with them if you know what your getting and for the correct price which should be way less that Perigord truffles or even Summer Truffles for that matter.

Edited January 13, 2012 by ermintrude (log)

[lstrelau]

Yup, it isn't much to do with the age of harvesting or maturity but all about the species of truffle. They are not all created equal.

There are quite a few species of truffle but only a few of them have good flavour and culinary qualities. We can get summer truffles occasionally and while they are tasty (actually it is mostly about smell rather than 'taste') they don't come close to the intensity and flavour of the 'true' black perigord species and a completely different animal to the white Alba-type truffle. The only fresh black ones I have had were not impressive but they had suffered from over-long storage by the time I saw them. (but tried them anyway).

When we visited Alba in Piemonte a few years ago, during the truffle festival it was an eye (and nose) opening experience. It really was possible to distinguish a difference in the quality of different truffles (of the same species) that I now guess is to do with maturity and storage time.

There is a farm on Vancouver Island: Duckett Truffieres that apparently has been harvesting since 2007 but I can't see where they sell them (or how one buys them) but they do sell innoculated trees so we can all buy them and start our own truffiere!!!

[dcarch]

Chinese were not so smart.. :-)

They used to feed truffle to their pigs.

They should have sold "Truffle fed Pork" at $1,000 a lb.

dcarch

[pastrygirl]

The part I didn't quite get is why the Chinese truffle species is inferior, the story just said the truffles are crap because they're harvested whenever they're found, not when they're ripe, and that has nothing to do with the actual truffle, just poor farming.

The chinese truffles are a different variety. The canned truffles from China labeled 'Product of France' in the video were Tuber indicum, not the Perigord variety Tuber melanosporum. The sorters were able to pick them out, so there must be some obvious difference, at least to the pros.

Edited January 14, 2012 by pastrygirl (log)

[ScottyBoy]

I've bought one once. Worthless.

[bague25]

Unfortunately, this problem is around for a while – but there seems to be no real solution proposed except to buy your truffles from a reputed place or and especially avoid canned. and stick you nose in a fresh one  - there is indeed a big difference olfactory-wise.

[Broken English]

The part I didn't quite get is why the Chinese truffle species is inferior, the story just said the truffles are crap because they're harvested whenever they're found, not when they're ripe, and that has nothing to do with the actual truffle, just poor farming.

The chinese truffles are a different variety. The canned truffles from China labeled 'Product of France' in the video were Tuber indicum, not the Perigord variety Tuber melanosporum. The sorters were able to pick them out, so there must be some obvious difference, at least to the pros.

That makes much more sense, which begs the question, if the Australian farmers can cultivate decent varieties, why don't the Chinese? Labour is the same, the process must be the same, so why settle for a shitty variety?