Truffles dug up in America
Hunting for those elusive, rather unattractive fungi which more than make up in value what they may lack in appearance.
Nadine was excited. She scampered along a haphazard route, pausing new and then to sniff at the ground. Occasionally she began to dig in the dirt, her breath quickening and eyes widening.
But she was not permitted to complete the excavation she had begun. That task was finished by Vanessa, who distracted Nadine with a tasty treat and used a trowel to discover, and uncover, the object of their search.
Nadine is a dog but she’s far from an ordinary canine. She is trained to find truffles, and I recently accompanied her, and her handler Vanessa Shea, on a
hunt for those elusive, rather unattractive fungi which more than make up in value what they may lack in appearance.
Truffles here, there, everywhere
This quest took placed at Virginia Truffles, a family owned and operated enterprise in that state, but truffles are grown in orchards that span the country from Maryland, Kentucky and Tennessee to Idaho, Oregon and California. The North American Truffle Growers Association estimates the number to be as high as 400.
My experience began with an introduction to everything truffle delivered around a blazing fire pit by Vanessa, her sister Olivia and their mother Patrice. My fellow adventurers and I benefitted from our hosts’ encyclopedic knowledge, which included historic facts, truffle tidbits and recipes for using these highly prized gastronomic gems in a variety of ways.
For example, who knew that truffles were prized at the time of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires; that the Medieval Catholic Church largely banned consumption of “the devil’s fruit,” and that they were a favorite food of French Queen Catherine de Medici and King Louis XIV.
Pigs were too piggish to be truffle hunters
Modern truffling is said to have evolved when French farmers observed pigs uprooting a favorite food, then trained them for the hunt. However, because pigs love truffles they often consumed their prize before the farmer could rescue it, so trackers began training dogs, who happily work for canine treats.
The object of the hunt is an edible fungus that grows several inches underground beneath tree branches. Favorite hosts are oak and hazelnut trees.
Upon learning that truffle farmers can wait as long as 10 years after planting their seedlings before they get their first harvest, and that the crop is retrieved during a truncated harvesting time of only a few months, I concluded that raising the subterranean fungus is as much an art as a science, and qualifies as a labor of love.
“Where’s the truffle?”
Love between human and dog was evident as I followed Nadine and Vanessa walking rapidly through the orchard, Vanessa repeating the mantra “Where’s the truffle?” Our trek, which lasted a little over an hour, produced five black truffles.
A post-hunt mini-buffet included carrot soup, deviled eggs, pastrami and brie cheese, all enhanced with fresh truffle shavings or slices. While the earthy, pungent odor of the tubers that Nadine unearthed was almost too strong for my nostrils or taste buds, the hints of truffle in the food added a unique dimension which I found easy to enjoy but difficult to describe.
During a post-snack visit to the small on-site laboratory, Patrice explained the truffle cleaning process, which includes cutting out any small rotted areas; described the truffle grading guidelines that have been adopted by the United Nations, and mentioned that some of the tubers which the farm sells to nearby white tablecloth restaurants are priced at more than $120 an ounce.
She also listed some of the many ways truffles may be used to add flavor to a variety of food, several of which were demonstrated, and enjoyed, during our snack. While some cuisine seems like a natural fit – think eggs, soup, mashed potatoes, infusing sauces and dips, making truffle butter and cream – the possibilities for using truffles to titillate taste buds are virtually endless.
The list of food-enhanced truffles is long
Having been hooked by the distinctive scent, lore and taste of this nondescript but delicious taste enhancer, I purchased truffle-infused honey, salt and pepper to bring home. I look forward to enjoy them, along with memories of a unique experience that long will linger in my mind, and on my tongue.
Information about truffles, and a list of growers throughout the United States, is available at trufflegrowers.com, the website of the North American Truffle Growers Association.
Victor Block
Victor Block retains the travel bug after gallivanting throughout the United States and to more than 75 other countries worldwide and writing about what he sees, does, and learns. He believes travel is the best possible education and claims he still has much to learn. He loves to explore new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won many writing awards.
