White truffle why expensive

Female—and only female—pigs were the original truffle seekers; the truffles smell like testosterone to the lady swine, making them easy and eagerly sought out. So, dogs were trained to put their noses to use for the cause and all they ask in return is a treat from their handler.

In fact, use of the pig to hunt truffles has been prohibited since because they damage the truffle beds in their zeal to get to the scent. Once the truffle is unearthed—and a portion of the precious find is put back into the ground to act as a spore and repopulate—there's the matter of getting the truffle to a plate.

Truffles immediately begin losing water to evaporation as soon as they're dug up. To combat that, no expense is spared to get the truffle where it's going. But as Massimo Vidoni, known as Dubai's "truffle man", puts it: "You are aware of a truffle's arrival long before it's in your mouth. It will tickle your nostrils, the smell being as fulfilling as the taste. But to understand the demand and the eye-watering price tag for what is, essentially, a bit of underground fungus, one has to dig deeper.

Of the two main types, black truffles, known for their sweet, nutty and rich aroma, are available all year because people are able to cultivate them. The white truffle, on the other hand, is more precious, as it cannot be farmed; its availability is based purely on chance.

It is like the gold rush — they go truffle hunting in the early morning or at night, guided by moonlight, if they don't want others to know where they are searching. The location of truffle is highly prized and passed on through generations. People are very protective of this," he says. The evasive white truffle also only pops up for about 60 days in a year, from the end of October, with the price changing according to supply.

The price went up to Dh20, to Dh30, per kilo. A server shaves white truffle on a tagliolini pasta dish at Roberto's. Only Mother Nature has the recipe for truffles.

Once they are picked, truffles are ripe for consumption within the first week. They lose 3 per cent to 5 per cent of their weight every day, while their flavour also diminishes with time. Ten days after they are discovered, they are inedible, says Vidoni. But they are worth the money. They aren't just an ingredient — they are an experience. In the U. During white truffle season in fall and early winter, Urbani supplies about pounds of white truffles to United States each week, with 10 percent sold at retail and 90 percent to restaurants.

He declined to share how many total pounds Urbani ships around the world. In , an exceptionally good year for white truffles, Giordano says the company sold about 3, kilos or 6, pounds of white truffles in the U. This summer, the company imported about pounds of the black summer truffles per week on average. Bassi and Sparvoli say they pick up a new batch of truffles from John F Kennedy International Airport every other day, all year round.

Unfortunately the unique odor starts to fade as soon as the truffle is dug up. Truffles don't last longer than 7 to 10 days. Truffles can be cooked, but are usually cleaned by hand and grated or sliced paper-thin atop warm food, which absorbs the truffle's aroma.

Other cooks put truffles in closed containers with food to impart a truffle flavor. You don't need much since a little goes a long way. It can be difficult to find truffle oil that includes real truffles.

It's out there, but most of it is cooking oil scented with chemicals found in truffles but not truffles themselves. You shouldn't cook with truffle oil since heat tends to alter it, advises RecipeGeek.

It's considered a finishing oil, best when sprinkled sparingly over prepared food like eggs, cooked vegetables, pasta or potatoes. Even french fries are subjected to the treatment.