Truffle Turophobia??…

Truffle Turophobia??…

Hello Fellow Travelers!

Truffle Turophobia?? (Fear of Truffle Cheese?)…Not in this household!!...But what I have learned about Truffles is that people either love them, or hate them with little middle ground if any.

I had been considering writing a blog post on Truffles for some time, but as soon as the most recent issue of Sacramento Magazine showed up in my mailbox, I just knew that the time was now to write the story.

While truffles have been popular in high-end cuisine for some time, it seems as if truffles have made their way into many common items, such oils, salts, honey, and even potato chips. 

The chef community refers to truffles as “Black Gold” and French gourmand, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin called truffles "the diamond of the kitchen", so it’s no wonder why when these little morsels can fetch up to $200+ an ounce. Just what are these little black lumps of coal, and more importantly, why are they so darned expensive?? Let’s take a closer look…

A truffle is the fruiting body of an underground fungus predominantly one of the many species of the genus Tuber. These small little growths develop on the roots of chestnut and oak trees.

This delicacy has been an important ingredient in French, Italian, and Spanish cooking. While the truffles are mentioned as early as the fourth century B.C., it was relatively a mystery on how (where, and why) to find them.

By the late 1700’s it was discovered that truffles could be cultivated. Simply known in France as trufficulture, Pierre II Mauléon of Loudun (Western France), saw an "obvious symbiosis" between the oak tree, the rocky soil and the truffle. He attempted to reproduce such an environment by taking acorns from trees known to have produced truffles, and planting them in chalky soil. His experiment worked, as truffles were found in the soil around these newly grown oak trees years later.

While there are many varieties, here are the “big three”:

The Black Summer Truffle (Tuber aestivum) or The Burgundy Truffle (Tuber uncinatum), are harvested September to December and have delicate hazelnut aroma (milder compared to the Black Périgord. Both are found across Europe and are prized for their culinary value at a retail price of $40/ounce.

The Black Truffle or Black Périgord Truffle (Tuber melanosporum) – Named after the Périgord region in France, they have a more intense flavor and pungent aroma. These are harvested in late November to March and have a retail price of $85/ounce. 

Alba Truffle (Tuber magnatum) or just simply known as the “White Truffle” – These highly desired white truffles are found mainly in the forested areas of northern Italy. These be cultivated as described previously, which adds to the rarity and price. Harvested from September to the end of December, these fetch a retail price of $200+/ounce. 

In 2016, nearly 2,000 tons were harvested in Europe and those numbers have been dwindling, while demand among chefs is growing.

Let’s take a look at several cheesemakers and see how they include truffles into their cheeses:

One of the newest on the market is made by Président®. Their Creamy Brie with Truffles is a spreadable dip that can also be used as an awesome sandwich spread. Great flavor and aroma. Made from Cow’s milk.

Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor®  – This beautiful Goat’s milk cheese comes from Humboldt County in Northern California. It has a dense, earthy paste that ripens from the outside edge inward. I served this on a crusty French bread with La Malva Rosa Miele al Tartufo® truffled honey. The two truffle experiences did not compete, but instead wonderfully complemented each other. This cheese won Best of Class, at the U.S. Cheese Championshipin 2019.

The final truffle cheese was the classic Moliterno al Tartufo from Central Fromaggi®. This semi-hard Sheep’s milk cheese come from Italy and is infused with deep veins of Black Summer Truffles. It’s no wonder that this cheese has won World Cheese Awards for 2016-17, as well as 2017-18. This cheese was the perfect table cheese and simply served it with slices of apple. 

So there you have it!...A cow’s milk, a goat’s milk, and a sheep’s milk truffle cheese….No truffle hunting dog or pig required. No digging around roots of trees, just some simple digging through the local cheese cases. 

Can’t find some of these?...I am sure that your local cheesemonger has access to them and so many more.

Until next week,

Trevor

P.S. – I used a Boska® Copenhagen Semi-Soft Cheese Knife No.2 for the Truffle Tremor, and a Boska® Bamboo Handled Hard Cheese Knife for the Moliterno.