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A Tasty History of Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate truffles have been around for a long, long time, pleasing discerning palates the world over, and delighting both children and adults with their tasty cocoa-infused goodness.
The modern chocolate industry as we know it came to life back in 1828 when the invention of the cocoa press made it possible to extract the natural fat from cocoa beans. This fat is better known today as cocoa butter, and it is a tasty byproduct of the cocoa bean’s solid interior.
The cocoa press was a great breakthrough because it allowed candy makers to create a solid chocolate bar for the first time. The very first solid chocolate candies were produced in Bristol England by Fry’s back in 1847. These solid chocolate “bars” were an instant success with the British public, and were soon a highly sought after export in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
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Some Tips On How To Find A Black Truffle
In Spain, the black truffle harvesting season is regulated by law. As it is in most countries that are fortunate enough to have black truffles growing in the wild. In Spain, the black winter truffle season begins the 15th of November and ends the 15th of March.
People who hunt truffles in the wild are usually very quite about where their truffle producing trees are located. In days gone past, the exact locations was passed down from father to son as a family secret, no joke. Poachers were a constant threat, stealing this valuable tuber. Poachers still are a major threat even today.
In mid summer, a truffle hunter will usually take a stroll past his known black winter truffle producing trees. A black truffle growing close to the soils surface will make a bulge in the soils top soil layer. The truffle hunter will usually mark the spot in some inconspicuous way, maybe planting a few seeds of wheat or barley, placing a rock nearby or leaving a twig.
A black winter truffle producing tree, be it a holm oak or a downy oak, will have what is called a burn or brule around it. The top soil surrounding the trees trunk will have a burnt or bare area. The weeds in this area will have stunted growth or look as if they have been burned. This is the black winter truffle´s defense mechanism killing off the competition that is growing above it. The soil will also have a spongy feel to it when you walk on it, even thou the soil is dry. Read the rest of this entry »
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White Truffles, The Elite of the Truffle World
Truffles are kind of fruits that grow underground and they are used as food It is a fungal body that relies on mycophagy for spore disposal. Mycophagies are animals that feed on living members of the fungus members. They come in different types depending on where they are grown. There is Oregon white truffles, Italian truffles and Alba truffles. They are normally found close to trees. The white truffle will normally grow near the oak and hazel, among other trees, and they usually weigh around half a kilogram. Those that grow among the oak are the most sought after.
Factors that affect good quality truffles will include acidity of the soil, moisture, age of trees and roots. Alba truffles are hard to find and trained dogs are normally used to find them through sniffing, where they are buried in trees. They can be identified by a pale cream color and resemble potatoes. They have a marble appearance inside, when cut. Read the rest of this entry »
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