More Cooks Are developing A taste for truffles
North American varieties bring rare delicacy into the mainstream
When most of us think of truffles (the fungus, not the chocolate), we think of classic French fine dining and images of stately pigs sniffing in European forests. Notoriously difficult to cultivate and even harder to stumble across in the wild, truffles are considered a rare delicacy, but native varieties of truffles are becoming increasingly popular right here in North America.
The big black European Perigord truffles remain the gold standard in the truffle world — but more and more chefs and home cooks are exploring the world of native North American truffles, specifically the “Oregon” truffles found in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and parts of southern British Columbia (a different variety, the “pecan” truffle appears in the Eastern part of North America and the American South).
Found at the base of young Douglas fir trees, native Oregon truffles come in both white and black varieties, each of which has its own uniquely earthy flavour. Peak season is October through March (with spring, white varieties appear in February through July).
While wild truffles can be found by gently scraping the topsoil under trees with a hand-held rake, the only way to ensure that foraged truffles are perfectly ripe is to employ a professional truffle dog who can sniff out the good stuff. The dogs (usually of the Italian Lagotto Romagnolo breed, but any dog with a good nose and the right disposition can be trained to forage) are often used by hobby foragers, though some guides in Oregon and Washington take commercial groups out hunting during truffle season. Oregon also hosts an annual Truffle Festival over two weekends in January and February that includes foraging trips.
Such tours haven’t gained traction in Canada just yet (though there was a small truffle festival in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland this month), but in addition to foraging, commercial truffle orchards (usually growing Mediterranean-style truffles) are popping up in B.C., as well as Washington state, Oregon and northern California. B.C.-based truffle researcher Shannon Berch says she knows of several new truffle orchards in the works in British Columbia, but since it takes five to seven years to cultivate truffles, it will be a while before they hit the Canadian market.
“The number of Mediterranean truffles being produced in commercial truffle orchards is relatively small,” Berch says. “The native truffles are all being harvested in the wild.”
Once you get your hands on either Oregon or the more readily available Mediterranean-style fresh truffles — if a foraging trip isn’t an option they’re often sold over the internet, at farmers’ markets, and European specialty stores like the Italian Centre Shop and Mercato — you need to know what to do with them. Truffles have a short shelf life and should be used within two weeks, stored wrapped in a paper towel in an airtight glass jar in the fridge. Don’t skip out on the airtight jar — truffles are unbelievably pungent and will otherwise infuse everything else in the fridge with a distinctive truffle flavour.
One doesn’t necessarily “cook” with truffles as much as use them to infuse other ingredients or use them as a garnish. Place a fresh truffle in a sealed jar with a pound of high-quality butter, a chunk of soft cheese, an open container of cream, or whole eggs and it’ll take on the truffle flavour after a day or two. Truffles can also be immersed in gently warmed oil, honey or brandy for an easy infusion.
Complementing a number of fine foods, shaved or grated truffle can also be used to finish a wide variety of dishes, ranging from creamy macaroni and cheese or short ribs to seared scallops or cured fish. Homemade truffle cream, truffle butter or truffle oil can all be used to create sauces and dressings to accompany different vegetables or cuts of meat.