About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Truffle to fetch $221,000.00

First of all, what is a truffle? It is an underground form of mushroom that lives in the roots of specific trees. Truffles cannot be planted and suppliers rely on the fungus infecting the roots of oak trees to enable the delicacy to grow - a process which can take up to 15 years. For more specific information and recipes click here.


In today's paper, an article from Rome announced that a 1.5 kg (more than 3 pounds) truffle was found in the Italian countryside near the city of Pisa. Italian truffle hunter and trader, Cristiano Savini dug down 80 cm (almost 3 feet) by an oak tree to find this truffle, the largest unearthed in half a century. It took Savini, his father, and his dog Rocco more than an hour to get it out. They are donating the truffle to a charity auction in Macau where it is expected to fetch 150,000 euros or $221,000 Cdn.


I've only had the chocolate variety of truffles, but has anyone ever eaten the real thing? Maybe Welshcakes Limoncello?

10 comments:

beachgirl said...

I have never eaten a truffle nor have any desire to do so. I don't even eat mushrooms. Yuck.

Ruth L.~ said...

I'm fine with mushrooms and would eat a truffle if I was presented with one . . . a cooked one . . . that didn't cost an arm and a leg. But I'd rather eat trifle. Have you ever had that?

Leslie: said...

Oh, trifle - true British tradition! MMMMMM good!

Claire said...

I have a friend who has something like white truffles growing in her garden. I smelt them they smelt rather good. We are waiting for an experts opinion. I will pass this news onto her. Trifle? yeah that's good.

Jo said...

I have never eaten a truffle, but my son-in-law has. He says they're very good.

Like Ruth, I prefer trifle.

Okay, Leslie, we want an update on the e-mail you sent - you know the one. :-)

Leslie: said...

Update: no response, as I predicted. No problem - his loss. :(

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Yes, I have eaten black truffle and used it to make truffle oil and a pasta sauce. The taste is unlike anything else I have ever tried, and delicious. You used, in season, to be able to buy them at Cardiff Market in Wales. You'd pay about, I think, £5 sterling for a tiny one- but it was worth it! Haven't seen them here.

Ellee Seymour said...

I'd love Welshcakes to cook this for me - in Sicily. I'm sure it would be worth the trip.

Janice Thomson said...

I can't think of any food worth that kind of money that will be in and out of my body in less than 24 hours. I'm with the trifle gals. :)

Pear tree cottage! said...

Leslie, I have not had the truffle as such but have had the truffle oil I think it is a little old smelling lol! lol!

I love to make trifle and we have it for dessert every Christmas eve, or infact any family gathering event. you are right mmmmmmmmm! good!

so nice to be back visitng you.
off now to take in another of your posts your christmas dec's look lovely, must read about them.
cheers Lee-ann