History of the Truffle
During the month of October, Alba, a town of Piedmont, Italy, hosts their annual October Truffle Festival. Alba, the White Truffle Capital of Italy, holds the annual truffle festival for two weeks during the month of October in honor of safeguarding the quality and traditional legends of the truffle. To many chocolate truffle lovers' dismay, the truffles of Alba contain no chocolate. Instead, they're actually a kind of mushroom. The truffle, also known as tartufo in Italian, has been known for the last three thousand years to delight a fortunate few including the ancient Sumerians, Greeks and Romans, as well as famous people throughout history including: Lord Byron, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Pope John Paul II, Valentino and more.
The Truffle, not referring to the chocolate-coated confectionery treat made famous by M. Dufour in Chambéry, France in December 1895, is a prized food item that has been known in the European nations for over three thousand years. The Latin meaning of truffle is "swelling" or "lump." Though many consider it an acquired taste, these edible truffles are the fruiting body of an underground mushroom and have a variety of associated flavors including mushroomy, nutty, earthy, and meaty. Truffles even sometimes have a floral taste. Truffles are lumpy and odd-shaped bulbs costing anywhere from $300 a pound to well over $2000 a pound, with rare truffles selling for over $330,000 for a single 3.3 pound truffle.
"A sauté of truffles is a dish the honors of which the mistress of the house reserves to herself; in fine," stated 18th-century French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, "the truffle is the diamond of the kitchen." For centuries, people have debated, cooked and consumed truffles, regardless of their unpleasant odor and uncommon shape. However, if you mention truffles to the average person, they are likely to think of a chocolate confection.
Chocolate truffles obtained their name through their resemblance to the Italian truffles—round and dusty. Though most people assume that the truffle is the entire chocolate treat, chocolate-coating and all, the truffle is actually the ganache filling. The first truffle was created by M. Dufour in Chambéry, France in December 1895. Truffles are known to have a variety of textures and flavors including: milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, coconut, nuts, marshmallows, creams, berries, nougats, mint flavorings and liqueurs. The variety of handmade truffles conjures curiosity in the truffle lover and chocolate connoisseur alike.
Truffles can also be made at home, though more difficult than simply purchasing online or in a local chocolatier, and can be crafted with unique combinations of flavors to satisfy individual palates. Search the web for truffle recipes and find inspiration from truffle makers everywhere, including professional gourmet chocolate truffle makers. And, for the more adventurous, try making your own handmade chocolate truffles and satisfy your sweet tooth while being artistic.
Questions and Answers
Ludicrous as it may seem, here’s some truly fascinating facts for you to savor as you reward yourself with your next bar of chocolate..
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