Pandemic forces, this year in the Heart of Hérault, the sale of truffles is done by drive, directly from the producer to the consumer
, while respecting barrier gestures. Nothing could be easier, just book online and make an appointment to pick up your order.
Now is the time for truffle growers! Since the beginning of the month, they have been preparing for excavation, in search of the precious black diamond buried under the earth. It is a question of not missing the great rendezvous of the end of the year celebrations, where the black truffle figures prominently on the plates. The professionals are on top. “With the crisis and the closure of restaurants which deprive us of more than 50% of our turnover, we are counting on individuals to sell our harvest”,
advance Gilbert Serane, president of the Syndicate of truffle growers of Hérault, which brings together a hundred professionals.
Online order To face this particular context, we organize ourselves: “On the union’s website, we have put the contact details of the producers online to enable individuals to make their reservations for the holidays, as close as possible to their homes, and there is also word of mouth”,
explains the president.
A godsend for truffle lovers, who will be able to benefit from the expert advice of professionals during these withdrawals for preserving or preparing their truffles.
A product that must be pampered to better appreciate it!
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“Be careful, warns Gilbert Serane, the truffle is a fresh and perishable product that can only be kept for four to five days in a refrigerator. Afterwards, it loses its taste and flavors.” However, the professional recommends placing it “in an airtight container, on absorbent paper that must be changed every day”. To savor it in the best conditions, he warns, “don’t buy it too early. The fresher it is, the better it is, the producers pick them up every day to ensure their freshness and full ripening.” Good to know ! The producer does not advance on the figures of his production; a tradition in the trade. “Silence is worth as much gold as the black diamond, which it protects!” Gilbert Serane guarantees it:
“The season promises to be good. Tuber melanosporum, its scientific name, will be rich in taste and flavor due to better weather conditions than last year.” But all is not won! An experienced professional for thirty-three years, Gilbert Serane carefully scrutinizes his thermometer. His fear:
“a glacial episode which could delay the maturity of the truffle, or even be fatal. There is no such thing as a remedy, it only takes a few days of frost to dampen the hopes of a good harvest with the collateral effect of soaring prices. “
Price suspense The price ? He doesn’t want to talk about it for now: “It’s too early, you never know what it will give. The market fluctuates according to supply and demand.”
What we do know is that prices vary depending on the year between 800 and 1,500 € per kilo.
What we also know is that when the truffle is at its full maturity and its most pronounced aromas, little is needed to flavor or revisit a dish. Why deny it, even in small groups this year!
Did you know ? Unfair competition ?
According to Gilbert Serane, “to the eye, it can be misleading, but you can’t go wrong with the smell and, on the plate, there is no picture!” The truffle grower is tough when it comes to Chinese truffles. Difficult for the uninitiated to recognize it at a glance on the stalls. The first tip is the price: between 150 and 300 € per kilogram. In principle, the legislation requires the name, percentage and origin of the truffle, fresh or processed, to be mentioned. The white truffle arrives.
Gilbert Serane was not mistaken, the white truffle has its followers, so why not give it a try? Since last year, he has tried the adventure of this mushroom which is harvested in summer: “Some restaurateurs are asking for it, it is less fragrant but it pleases.” The producer does not hide it, this will allow him to secure an income throughout the year. When we know that in November 2009, a 750 g white truffle was auctioned for € 75,000 in Italy, there is much to dream about!Simple but tedious
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