Want a reason to love winter? Truffles.
These edible fungi are among the world’s greatest luxury foodstuffs, beloved for a powerfully seductive aroma that has been described as “musky, fiery, savoury, mysterious.” Among the more than 100 types of truffle, the two most culinarily prized are the White Alba (Tuber magnatum) and Black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum), which should both be available right now, though the season for white truffles is ending and the one for Périgords just beginning.
Most truffles we see here come from Europe, with some from China and Oregon, and a very limited quantity from the Island, from Below the Nut Farm near Nanaimo and The Truffle Farm in Parksville. Note, though, that a fresh Périgord will set you back upwards of $1,000 a pound; luckily, all you need is the finest shaving to transform any dish into the sublimest of fare.
Earthy, sensual, aromatic: Even a whisper-thin sliver of truffle can transform a dish into something luxuriously decadent.
Photo: Getty Images
