What are truffles? some one told me candies. i disagreed?!
What are truffles? some one told me candies. i disagreed?
Answers:
You are both right.
The truffles you may be thinking about are a type of fungus, much associated with the mushroom family. They are harvested in various, certain regions of France and Italy [at least those countries' certain areas are where the best truffles come from].
The very best, and probably THE MOST expensive, come from a region in France called Perigord. They have very little flavor and are black in color.
The natural truffles grow underground and can only be detected and harvested with the assistance of specially-trained, muzzled pigs and/or dogs. It all depends on what area or region the truffles are harvested in whether a pig or a dog is used.
The reason the animals are muzzled? Before the man or lady, harvesting the truffles, could get to the truffle fast enough, the pig or dog could take-a-bite-out-of or eat the truffle.
The white truffle is harvested in France's Piedmont region. These are gray or off-white in color and have a slight, garlic flavor.
When they are exported to the U.S., they are usually processed and canned. They are EXTREMELY expensive. The last price I heard being quoted was about One Hundred Sixty-five ($165.00) US Dollars per pound. That was in the 1960s, when I was attending the Culinary Institute of America, when the campus was in New Haven, CT. I wouldn't even chance a guess as to their cost today.
They are mostly used as a garnish and/or with classic French cuisine.
Truffles ARE a type of confection or candy. I'm not exactly sure how they're made, but I think different kinds of chocolate are blended together, shaped and dusted with cocoa powder.
I wish you well!
Very Truly Yours,
Ron B.