March, 2005 - Nr. 3
Real Truffles
at the Cheese Boutique
No, they are not chocolates, but real fungi – or mushrooms. But since they are usually quite expensive, not many people use them – or are even aware of them. Famous for their delicately tantalizing aroma and wonderful taste, gourmet chefs in better restaurants prize them above all other fungi. Once experienced they can never be forgotten.
Two
‘Chefs’ demonstrated this at the Cheese Boutique, some weekends ago. On the
Saturday it was Frank Parhizgar, from the Honey Supper Lounge, and on Sunday
Randy Feltis from Oscar’s Restaurant, who - to the delight of those
customers present at the store to sample their creations - demonstrated the
use of those magnificent culinary delicacies.
Truffles
have fascinated people for thousands of years. Their attraction is the
tantalizing taste and aroma, which - once experienced - can never be
forgotten.
Pigs and specially trained dogs are used to find them, usually near the roots of oak trees and about 2 to 15 inches below ground. Truffles are very difficult to find and very expensive as a result! At times black truffles – also called "The Black Diamond of French Cuisine – may sell from $350 to $500 per pound. There are over a dozen different types of truffles found all over the world. The best-known countries are France and Italy. But there are excellent truffles found in North America as well.
Attempts are being made to farm truffles, since it is so difficult to find them in the wild. The harvest has steadily decreased for the last 90 years, due to forest destruction and the killing of trees by air pollution. France produced 1,000 metric tons of truffles in 1892; now, only 50 – 90 tons are harvested each year.
If you missed the demonstrations but want to try some truffles for yourself, check with the Cheese Boutique. There are still some in stock!
The next promotion – to which the public is invited – is the cutting of the 15-year-old monster cheese by Massimo Capra from the Mistura Restaurant. This cheese was produced in the Ottawa Valley November 27, 1989. It started with 500 lbs of raw milk and now weighs in at 354 lbs. "It has been ageing for over 15 years and was turned every 6 month in our cheese vault", said Fatos Pristine, the owner of the Cheese Boutique. r.k.a.
