Just curious - black truffles

[ElizabethB]

I watched a re-run of Andrew Zimmer's Bizarre foods Paris. He visited a truffle shop. I am curious to know if any of you have ever eaten truffles? Would you if you could?

I tooled around on line and did not find fresh truffles available retail. Not that I would buy any. Maybe some day we can visit France and I can try truffles. I know they are incredibly expensive. From what I found the price ranges from $1000 to $1200 per pound. I think there are shops in NYC where they can be purchased fresh but I am sure the price is even higher considering the shipping and shelf life.

Just a random question to see if anyone has had that experience or shares my desire to try it.

So I am rambling.

[tomc]

Mushrooms where collectors aren't fully sure where the spoor are generated, can be fostered.

The usual MO is to take examples of the desired mushroom and blend it up with water and a tablespoon or two of honey.

Sprinkle that water around the roots of a good host tree. Repeat as often as your wallet can stand.

Or, do a search for growing your own morel and or truffle...

[bryce d]

Do truffles grow in north America?

[Lindsaylew82]

Pecan truffles grow in the south. And not the chocolate kind either. They usually go for around $100/ pound.

[ElizabethB]

Black truffles only grow in a very limited region. They only grow in the wild. There have attempts to grow them commercially without much success. I don't think they grow in North America. That is why they are so outrageously expensive. They grow underground and truffle hunters use pigs to sniff them out.

I was not inquiring about growing them. I was curious to know if anyone had tasted them.

[Lindsaylew82]

I've not had actual truffles, but I have had truffle oil, and it was very meh. I'd like to think that I have a pretty complex palate, but I didn't find it extraordinary enough to go out of my way to obtain the real thing.

Eta:
Also a few weeks ago I read in my "weird news" section that some big chef paid 330,000.00 for a rare white truffle. I damn near spit my coffee all over my front porch.

[ElizabethB]

From what I have heard/read truffle oil is nothing like the real thing. I DID just spit coffee all over the patio! Nuts

[shadylane]

They have up-graded that to trained dogs, due to the pigs would start eating them.
No have not tried the "real" truffle mushroom. I do however in cooking use the oils, VERY sparingly, in dishes. Only a couple of drops of Black or White truffle oil. The black is a bit stronger than white. Yes it isn't the real truffle, but will give your curiosity an insight of what you could be missing.
France were using bragging rights as to say they had better truffles due to soil, trees, yada yada. But there are claims of finding truffles here in the north part of the states. One state I have in mind and wanting to say,is upper west part of Wisconsin. I can be corrected in that.

[tomc]

I was not inquiring about growing them. I was curious to know if anyone had tasted them.

No, but Bryce did ask.

And truffles are currently under cultivation here (USA).

[ElizabethB]

Tom - where? Any site to purchase?

I would love to try cooking with black truffles. A simple owlet would be elevated to heaven with the addition of a sliver or 2 of truffle.