About those very early white truffles ...
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When white truffles recently showed up on the menu at Craft, they caused a bit of a ruckus among online foodies who claimed it was ‘too early’ in the season. But white truffles have indeed been trickling in for the last few weeks, says Tyler Gray of Mikuni Wild Harvest, supplier of truffles, wild huckleberries, sake-cured wild steelhead caviar and the like to chefs at restaurants such as Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif., and Per Se in New York. ‘It’s been the earliest white truffle season in at least the last 15 years.’
Gray confirms that they are from Tuscany and are tuber magnatum. Wild products are just that, Gray says, wild. ‘You can’t put a finger on them. There are wild circumstances, weather patterns change, and growing conditions change drastically.’
As for matsutakes -- those have been around this summer too. ‘It never ceases to catch me off guard when morels pop up in February or matsutakes in July,’ Gray says.
Unfortunately, an early flush doesn’t mean that there will be a bumper crop of white truffles this season. Last year, Mikuni auctioned for the biggest white truffle in the U.S. -- 1.7 pounds and nicely round -- bought by Daniel restaurant in New York. ‘But we can hope so. It can’t get worse than last year, which was horrific. Prices were at $3,000 to $4,000 a pound for premium grade. That’s the highest it’s ever been.’ Let’s all hope.
-- Betty Hallock
