Truffles are a type of fungi that grows underground. Although ground covers roughly one-quarter of the Earth’s surface, truffles are difficult to find. People like truffles, as you might know, because they have a delightful taste that is truly unique in the world of food. Restaurants, dealers, and individuals routinely pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a single ounce of real, gourmet, white and black truffles. Here are a few reasons why truffles are so expensive in today’s marketplace.

Truffles Can’t Reliably Be Farmed

Mushrooms, a type of fungus, can reliably be farmed by agriculturists. However, truffles cannot be farmed like corn, watermelons, cucumbers, or any other types of fruit or vegetable. One of the major reasons why truffles are so expensive is because they cannot be farmed. Rather, people living in certain areas of Europe must go out in the wilderness in an attempt to find them scattered around the globe.

People Need Animals to Locate Truffles

Dogs and pigs are two of the most common types of animals that are used to help humans hunt for truffles. Humans’ greatest strength is that of their intellect, whereas dogs’ and pigs’ most valuable assets are their senses of smell. Dogs and pigs can each smell many thousands of times better than their upright-walking counterparts.

Predicting Wild Truffle Supply Levels Is Difficult

Even though farmers know to hunt for truffles at certain times of the year and in certain weather conditions, guessing the future truffle supply level is something that’s currently practically impossible to get done correctly. The Fresher They Are, the More ExpensiveTruffles develop their unique flavor and smell profiles while they grow under the planet’s loamy, damp surface. Once they’ve been harvested by hunters, their trademark smell and taste profiles immediately begin to drop in value. As such, the fresher truffles are, the more expensive they’ll be, in most cases. Rather than trying to source legitimate truffles on your own and cook with them properly, get with us to secure an Italian cooking vacation where you’ll get to try tons of kinds of truffles in plenty of arrangements.