The Road to Hell Is Paved With Truffles

robin

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 21:28:43 GMT

Well it is possible to cultivate white truffles.

They began to master the art of cultivating truffles some years ago..10 or 15 year ago and now you can buy yearling oak trees, their rootsystem in symbiosis with the mycel of the truffles.

The trees are not to pricey and if you have the right soil you can plant them in your garden..if you do not use herbizides and other poisons that kill of the mycel, and harvest truffles after 10 years.

>Farmers are buying those yearling trees commercial and making plantations with them, harvesting truffles..in 10, 20 years from now on when the research is much further than nowadays(or 10 years before when they just started with the first few trees) we might be able to afford truffles more than once in a lifetime, we poorly peasants.

Same with caviar where the fish is now breed and grown and the eggs harvested through a cesarian from the fish

fx

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:21:45 GMT

Rowan, I know it sounds like money with no work, but if you take into account 7 years waiting with the proper piece of land at your disposal, and no certainty of proper truffles in the end, I don"t think you"d get rich with this. The guy who will get rich is the one who can grow them indoors in a controlled environment.

Rowan Boyle

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:40:57 GMT

Kia Ora Fx!!
I have just discovered your amazing website, and I have to say that I am completely addicted already! I just read your article "the road to hell is paved with truffles" I have always wondered what the heck these little nuggets are exactly, so I just did a bit of websurfing.In your last sentance you were contemplating a world where Truffles can be harvested..... Just read on the website practicallyedible.com that trees are being planted with truffle spores on their roots. In approximately 7 years the first truffle is harvested, and you can go on to harvest for at least 15 years, and up tp 30 years. Hmmmm, could prove to be a rather lucrative buisness methinks!

Tin Tin

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:10:16 GMT

Oh my god! I"ve been reading your blog for some time now, and trying out a few of the dishes with, uh, various degrees of success...but this white truffle concoction DOES look heavenly! Congrats on knowing such amazing recipes and being brave/foolhardy enough to try them out in your home.

Anyway, I"m going to Italy with family and a tour group tomorrow for nine days. Being an amateur dessert/patisserie maker and gastronomic trier-outer (I know, my vocabulary is lacking) I was wondering, are there any quality restaurants/shops that you know of that are not widely known? I am hoping to buy some ingredients but I don"t know if food is allowed back on airplanes? We will be visiting major tourist attractions and such. Hopefully you can give me some advice!

Thanks, and once again, your blog is absolutely terrific! where else can I learn how to deep-fry candy bars the traditional scottish way?
-luff, God

fx

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 16:06:59 GMT

Nathan, every morning I spend an hour kneeling in prayer in my kitchen in the hope that mankind will master truffle cultivation during my lifetime. Your truffle oil might be rancid, I"ve seen that a few times. But on the other hand, there could be a deeper problem. Truffle aroma is not fully perceived by all - some people don"t sense at all at least one molecule that makes up its scent. Perhaps they are destined to be more virtuous?

ND

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 11:35:07 GMT

Hi FX! I bought a little bottle of white truffle olive oil today, and I must admit that the smell and flavour were quite surprising� I"ve read that these truffles produce the same scent as a male pig"s sex pheromones, and although the flavour does have a kind of garlicky bite to it (to my uneducated palate, LOL), that musky smell and taste really remind me of a sweaty, grimy hog (or, at least, the taste is very reminiscent of pork�I was expecting an earthy, mushroomy kind of taste)! Did you find truffles to be an acquired taste, or is it just me? On a side note, I followed one of the links on this site the other day to a company in England that seems to have achieved consistent success in cultivating black truffles�you can even buy little Oak and Hazel trees, which they guarantee will yield truffles on the rootstock. What"s your view on this?

-Thanks!

fx

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:08:58 GMT

Claudia, thanks for sharing your experiences in truffles! Do not let the ruined black truffle detract you from trying again. The best source is a local gastronomic restaurant. The more truffles they buy from their local purveyors, the better the prices they get, so they have an incentive to sell you one. Even a tiny, tiny good white truffle is worth it!

Claudia (cook eat FRET)

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:09:27 GMT

I wanted one this year so badly. But I heard the crop was not so good which drove up the price - plus with the pitiful dollar - they were about $350 an ounce. I almost did it but then instead bought a black perigord which had no scent when it arrived, but luckily I was credited from the purveyor. I realize there is no comparison between the two, but I decided to start there as I was also buying a whole foie and a few other things. The oil, although perhaps a fake is a staple in my home. I use it often on a poached egg atop some toast. Perhaps next season...and I so loved your comment before this one. I am quite sure I"d be in total agreement although I care only so much about bandwith...

fx

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:08:20 GMT

Acediac, truffles are like sex and bandwidth. Only too much is enough.

acediac

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:44:07 GMT

I haven"t the access to, nor the money to buy fresh truffles. I"ve actually never had any dishes with truffle yet. Someday, though. But other than this I have no idea of what preparation to use. One question though... Since truffles are supposedly so aromatic, would you really need an entire truffle for a recipe such as this?Just remember though, with truffle oil, you"re not getting real truffles for flavoring, just a hydrocarbon called 2,4-Dithiapentane.

fx

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 14:59:13 GMT

Dan, a white truffle will cost you more than a second-hand tire. More like 4 brand-new tires plus installation!

dan

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 08:41:44 GMT

So how much is ONE trufle? Should I sell a tire?

athena

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:52:10 GMT

Actually, there are wild truffles in our forests in the North of Greece, but these end up mostly in the locals" tables. The few shops that sell fresh cultivated black truffles run out of stock quickly and they don"t carry WHITE truffles. So,I usually make do with tiny jars of white ones preserved in oil or brine, which cost a lot and have a more discreet odour. That"s why I joked about trading my car for them! PS.I"ve never tried truffle oil. Does the smell last as long the oil ?

Rachel

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:03:22 GMT

Heaven forbid that I be accused of being calorie conscious! I meant lighter in texture. Gnocchi made with baked starchy potatoes and no egg have a lovely, light texture. I believe that it is the protein in the egg that is the culprit.

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:32:31 GMT

Ben, onion soup is definitely more affordable than truffles although it requires a lot of work. You can try with the recipe in Brian Glover"s book about onion cookery. Good luck!

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:26:57 GMT

Tara truffle oil is indeed a delicious ingredient and it stores the truffle flavor rather efficiently! When you"ll buy your first truffle be demanding and don"t buy it if you have any doubt. If it doesn"t smell in the shop, it won"t smell in your kitchen.

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:25:25 GMT

Callipygia, you can use as much truffle as you can afford on any one dish. Restaurant chefs need to account the exact quantity per guest down to the gram, but it is hard not to get carried away when cooking for yourself. Alas, you are right, down here in the Third Circle of Hell all we get is to look at the truffles - this is my "tantalising" predicament!

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:22:09 GMT

Athena, keep your car and remember that white truffles do not increase in values with time, quite the contrary! Thanks for your visit. Do you get wild truffles in Greece?

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:15:59 GMT

If you come to Europe for truffles you should visit Alba in Northern Italy, they have fresher and cheaper truffles than we get in Switzerland! I hope I won"t be included as a participant in Hieronymus Bosch"s third panel - all they ever get is look at them truffles!

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:09:53 GMT

Susan I recommend you try and buy one white truffle once in your life if you have the opportunity, even a tiny one is something you"ll never forget!

fx

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:06:05 GMT

Rachel most of the calories in this dish come from the butter, cream and parmesan. The 70gr-egg does not add much to the calorie bill. But yes, I have eaten heavenly boiled potatoes in truffle cream at Terre de Truffe in Paris. If I do this again, I would much rather have this than these large gnocchis.

Rachel

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:20:07 GMT

Unbelievable! But have you considered using baked potatoes and no egg for your gnocchi? They will be much lighter.

susan

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:14:18 GMT

omg you are killing me with this post! This sounds and looks amazing. Great photos. I dream of the day i"ll get to buy and cook with a beautiful white truffle.

Lyra

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:31:56 GMT

Wow that sounds heavenly. I"m going to need to buy a plane ticket to Switzerland and visit just so I can try some of these delicacies. And Hieronymus Bosch! I saw his famous triptych in 2002, and it was truly ghastly, once you look at the details. But I have faith in you FX, you won"t descend to such gluttonous waste.

athena

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:48:52 GMT

Tomorrow morning, I am going to sell my car and invest in white truffles!

Callipygia

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:53:35 GMT

How much of that truffle did you use for your sauce? Also since you occupy the third level of hell, does this mean that other diners do not get to partake in this otherworldly sauce? I might find it also hard to share...

TaratheFoodie

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:59:08 GMT

OMG, that looks so decadent. So sinful! I"ve never worked with truffles before, but I hope to one day. I use truffle oil for now to learn what foods and dishes I like to use it in.

Ben

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:05:43 GMT

I"ll try! My screen"s just been cleaned so it smells of apples now...Anyway, would you know of the best French Onion Soup recipe? I"m getting quite disheartened by some of the recipes out there that never turn out as good as they proclaim.

fx

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:59:37 GMT

Ben please do not let your reptilian brain take over and start licking your screen for truffle emanations!

Ben

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:31:06 GMT

FX: Your descriptions are so vivid I"m imagining the smell of the truffle sauce emanating from my computer screen...