China Transforms Truffles from Pig Feed to Global Culinary Treasure
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Truffles, often referred to as one of the world’s three most prized foods alongside caviar from armored sturgeon and foie gras from geese, were fed to pigs 30 years ago.
On the 25th, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, “According to the China Customs Administration, China exported 32.5 tons of frozen and fresh truffles last year, a 58.6% increase from the previous year,” adding, “Before China recognized their value in 1994, truffles were just feed for pigs.”
China has already become the world’s largest truffle exporter in 2022, surpassing the Netherlands and Belgium. Chinese truffles account for about 80% of the world’s production, with Yunnan province accounting for 60%.
Truffles produced in Yunnan province amount to 300 tons annually, about ten times more than those in France. The price of truffles varies depending on the origin. The most commercially valuable truffle, the white truffle from the Piedmont Alba region in Italy, costs over $2,500 per kilogram, while black summer truffles are in the $833 range.
On the other hand, the price of Chinese truffles is about one-eighth of that of French truffles. Due to this, some unscrupulous traders mix Chinese and French truffles to sell them.
SCMP explained, “Chinese black truffles have a 96% similarity to French truffles in base sequence, but the inconsistency in quality is seen as a limitation.”
Truffles, mainly used in Western cuisine and considered one of the world’s three greatest delicacies, along with caviar and foie gras (goose liver), were food for pigs in China before their value was recognized in 1994.
Truffles have a unique and strong aroma and are primarily produced in France and Italy, with varieties differentiated as black, white, and summer. They are usually found near the soil’s surface as they live symbiosis with plant roots. Over time, people have utilized the olfactory abilities of dogs and pigs to locate truffles, which contain the chemical compound androstenone, hidden in the soil under forest trees. Truffles are difficult to cultivate and harvest, which results in their high price.
The highest-rated truffles in the world are the black truffles from Périgord in southern France and the white truffles from Piedmont in Italy. Notably, a single 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) white truffle sold for a record $330,000 in 2007.
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