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The French Truffle - Black Diamonds.
Truffles are underground fungi which grow just below the earths surface in open woodland. They tend to grow within the roots of chestnut, oak, hazel, and beech trees. They are a winter harvest – usually dug up between December and March.
Truffles have been eaten for many thousands of years – it is thought that the Ancient Egyptians ate them over two thousand years ago. The name truffle comes from the Latin word "tuber" which means outgrowth. They are also called black diamonds, black pearls and black gold – probably because they cost so much to buy.
The Greeks and Romans used them for therapeutic purposes – they believed they gave health eternal to the body and soul. During the Middle Ages, truffles where disapproved of by the church as they had an exotic aroma and some claimed they were the devils creation. They made a comeback during the reign of Louis XIV who even tried (unsuccessfully) to cultivate them. Casanova was said to have used them as an aphrodisiac – the chemicals found in them include testosterone so he may have been right.
Truffles were originally hunted for using a female pig. The smell of a truffle to a sow is the same as the musky smell of a wild boar. The problem with using a pig is to stop her from eating it when she has found it. Many hunters have trained dogs to indicate where a truffle can be found using a paw. This is easier than trying to stop a sow from eating the truffle as the dog is not interested in eating it.
There are a number of different varieties of truffle in France but the one found in the Perigord (Dordogne) is the black truffle (tuber melanosporum) which is found under oak. It varies between dark brown and black in colour and has a rough uneven surface.
Why is it called black diamond/gold/pearl? It is the cost of it to buy – 600+ Euros at a truffle market, 800+ Euros in Paris and over 1200 Euros in New York. Some producers sell their finest produce to professional buyers before a market but it is always worth going to a market for the atmosphere.
Truffle markets occur between December and February. Two markets are at Brantôme: truffle market Friday morning and Sainte Alvère: Truffle market Mondays and Sarlat has a Fete de la Truffe in January.
La Petite Auberge is a gite complex in the Dordogne, France and is a great place to stay if you want to visit the truffle areas and markets.
Visit www.auberge-razac.com for more details.
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