Re: Practical truffle advice



M

Max Hauser

Guest
My previous posting "Practical Truffle Advice" explains that it is for
people wishing an introduction to the main truffle species of food
literature. Those are incontrovertibly Tuber melanosporum and T. magnatum,
"black" and "white" respectively. (Any reader can confirm the primacy of
these truffles in the famous food books I cited, which go into more detail.)

The inexpensive or "minor" truffle species, certainly of interest to cooks
also, and to truffle hobbyists, are outside the purpose of that posting.
They would properly require a separate thread. Except to make clear that
they do not appear in the classic food literature I cited. They are not the
black and white truffles described by all of those writers. (I've mentioned
truffles on newsgroups for more than 20 years, after creation of
rec.food.cooking by a friend of mine.)

D. Wheeler has advertised "Oregon White Truffles" and is identified
elsewhere as a vendor of them. He writes on truffles in cooking from an
evident commercial conflict of interest. Wheeler's newsgroup postings are
among the recent writing -- usually from people with a commercial stake --
that cloud the distinction between minor and classic truffle species.
Wheeler even denigrates the latter, in ways that place him into conflict
with Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Jacques Pépin, Paula Wolfert, Alice
Waters, et alia. The reader can decide whom to take seriously. (More of
Wheeler's perspective and reasoning are evident in his semi-incoherent
responses to my postings on the recent thread "Questions about truffles" in
rec.food.cooking.)


From Waverly Root's long 1980 truffle article (he'd mentioned them much
earlier, in his books on French and Italian food). Root was the mentor of
A. J. Liebling and is recognized as one of the principal US food writers of
the 20th century.

"... The only edible variety in the British Isles is T. aestivus, the summer
truffle, dark brown or black, with an aromatic odor but not much taste. ...
[In the United States there are some 30 native] varieties of truffles, none
of which make particularly good eating. Every once in a while somebody
discovers truffles there and glimpses fortune ahead, only to suffer
disappointment. This happens oftenest in Oregon and California ..."
 
On Jul 9, 3:30 pm, "Max Hauser" <[email protected]> wrote:
> My previous posting "Practical Truffle Advice" explains that it is for
> people wishing an introduction to the main truffle species of food
> literature. Those are incontrovertibly Tuber melanosporum and T. magnatum,
> "black" and "white" respectively. (Any reader can confirm the primacy of
> these truffles in the famous food books I cited, which go into more detail.)
>

I agree the the books your suggested in your Practical Truffle Advice
has some merit. But they seem to me selective: no mention of James
Beard, Caprial Pence, Greg Higgins, and others merit who have written
on the subject. Perhaps the complete list would have been too long? I
do note there is no mention of the North American Truffling Society's
"The Cookbook of North American Truffles", which has to be the classic
text for American species to date. Why no mention of these species in
other books? Vast ignorance IMO.
> The inexpensive or "minor" truffle species, certainly of interest to cooks
> also, and to truffle hobbyists, are outside the purpose of that posting.
> They would properly require a separate thread. Except to make clear that
> they do not appear in the classic food literature I cited. They are not the
> black and white truffles described by all of those writers. (I've mentioned
> truffles on newsgroups for more than 20 years, after creation of
> rec.food.cooking by a friend of mine.)
>
> D.Wheelerhas advertised "Oregon White Truffles" and is identified
> elsewhere as a vendor of them. He writes on truffles in cooking from an
> evident commercial conflict of interest. Wheeler'snewsgroup postings are
> among the recent writing -- usually from people with a commercial stake --
> that cloud the distinction between minor and classic truffle species.Wheelereven denigrates the latter, in ways that place him into conflict
> with Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Jacques Pépin, Paula Wolfert, Alice
> Waters, et alia. The reader can decide whom to take seriously. (More ofWheeler'sperspective and reasoning are evident in his semi-incoherent
> responses to my postings on the recent thread "Questions about truffles" in
> rec.food.cooking.)

As for Julia Child, she stated in a truffle article for the Contra
Costa Times just before she died, that she had not tried American
truffles, but that she had no reason to suspect they were inferior to
European varieties, and that they might indeed be better. "Why not?"
she is quoted as saying. Tthe identification of Tuber gibbosum by
Harkness in 1883 (the description was printed in 1898) said it was a
shame these fungi were not found more commonly, otherwise they might
be considered as good as the truffles of commerce (i.e. European
species). But to ignore the Terfezia, Choiromyces, and my special
favorite Picoa "for people who don't want to spend much for truffles
is, I think, a disservice.

Not heard of Picoa? I wonder why. It was named for Pico, whose name is
usually appended to the end of Tuber magnatum, which he first
described in science. Picoa are known from France, Spain, Japan and
the US.

As for my previous business, your statements border slander. I have
dropped my business after learning I have methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Does that make my statements "semi-
coherent"? I was unaware of it. The disease affects my body, not my
mind.
>
> From Waverly Root's long 1980 truffle article (he'd mentioned them much
> earlier, in his books on French and Italian food). Root was the mentor of
> A. J. Liebling and is recognized as one of the principal US food writers of
> the 20th century.

Interesting but passe. Did you know the North American Truffling
Society began in 1980? Is science too dry for foodies?
>
> "... The only edible variety in the British Isles is T. aestivus, the summer
> truffle, dark brown or black, with an aromatic odor but not much taste. ....
> [In the United States there are some 30 native] varieties of truffles, none
> of which make particularly good eating. Every once in a while somebody
> discovers truffles there and glimpses fortune ahead, only to suffer
> disappointment. This happens oftenest in Oregon and California ..."


Root obvious had not heard of T. rufum, which has also been reported
(rarely) from England. Odd. In Scandinavia it is on the endangered
species list, but is avidly sought after. Here in Oregon is has been
reported in collections submitted to the North American Truffling
Society on a fairly regular basis.

As Dr. James Trappe, professor emeritus at Oregon State University has
stated, the vast majority of truffles sold in the US until at least
1990 and possibly later were sold immature. I can state from
experience that in my opinion the Oregon White truffle (Tuber
gibbosum) is at least as good as the Italian White truffle. If the
fruiting times for both species overlapped sufficiently, people might
be able to try side-by-side tastings of them, much like good wines.

There are now known to be at least 50 species of native American
truffles known to date, and the list may well reach 100, at least
according to Dr. Trappe.

Have you tried Tuber californicum (California Black truffle)?
Have you tried T. rufum (Red truffle)?
Have you tried T. murinum (Pallid truffle)?
Have you tried T. sphaerosporum?
Have you tried T. oregonense?
Have you tried T. quercicola?
Have you tried T. separans?

>From other continents, have you tried Choiromyces meandriformis?

Tuber indicum?
Tuber himalayensis?
Terfezia species(there are over 100 species of desert truffles from
Africa and the Middle East. These were likely to truffles from Libya,
exported to Rome in the time of Pliny and Socrates.)

You mention in another thread that it would be inappropriate to judge
European species unless one has had them in Europe at the height of
their season. Yet you treat our native varieties with contempt without
judging them in the same environment.

Too bad.

You have missed the butterscotch aroma of Endogone lactiflua when
frozen. (Edibility unknown, not recommended). The strong Bailey's
Irish Cream aroma of Alpova diplophloeus when mature and softened.
(Edible) The overpowering stench of Gautieria monticola (think fresh
roofing tar - capable of driving you out of your car when driving when
a single specimen is in the car trunk).

Or even the tremendous oil of garlic aroma (about 1000 times stronger
than just garlic) of a species which remains unnamed at this time.

Of course, you would have to invest some of your time away from
cookbooks and more on finding dinner.<G> Perhaps even finding your own
T. magnatum in Italy or Croatia. Yes, the largest reported (2.6 kg) T.
magnatum came from outside of Italy.

Iin matters of taste, everyone should be allowed their own opinion.
Not everyone likes T. magnatum (I'm obviously one of them). Dr. Trappe
loves it. You obviously don't care for T. gibbosum. I like T.
gibbosum. But the T. gibbosum identified from 1980 is now known as T.
oregonense. The real T. gibbosum is found from late winter to early
spring in Washington, California and Oregon, and has been sampled by
darn few people. Some claim it is "too strong". Similarly the coconut/
chocolate/pineapple combination of Picoa carthusiana is especially
enticing to me. How will others like it if they have never tried it?

Daniel B. Wheeler