The Burgeoning Oregon Truffles Industry

At Cultural Oregon we love all things local. But, we have stumbled onto a purely Oregonian product that combines love of local organic food, love of the outdoors and our love for animals. Can you guess what it is?  Truffles!

There is a Truffles Industry Boom that has all the foodies heading for the Woods!

Oregon Truffles are fungi, as are mushrooms, only they grow underground rather than ontop of the ground. Also, there are not any known poisonous local truffles. They are organic, as truffles are found in the wild. They cannot be found without the help of especially trained dogs or truffle hounds, that can sniff out underground truffles.

Hiking through the woods with a dog is the only way to harvest them! Nothing is more natural in our state than that!

Oregon Truffles

Truffles were first used in Europe for cooking. Surprisingly, despite their strong odor, truffles are rather bland tasting when eaten. We are home to two types of truffles – The Oregon Black Truffle and The Oregon White Truffle. Both categories are as good as their French cousins and actually have stronger aromas.

They are also far less expensive than the French Truffles. A few other countries harvest truffles but production is limited. At one time, France had implemented truffle farming which are usually found in the root systems of Acorn trees.

When truffle farming was at its zenith, France had nearly 190,000 acres of land devoted to truffles. Two world wars and industrialization has killed off many of the commercial truffle operators, and attempts to rebuild the industry in France met stiff resistance as their current scarcity has created a price bubble.

This is good news though. Chef’s of Portland and worldwide find that Oregon truffles can easily replace French truffles and restaurants like the fact that this local variety of truffles are not nearly as pricey as imported ones are.

In France, pigs are usually used to sniff the truffles out of the ground. As they need no training to do this, they are almost ideal truffle hunters. But, not quite – if a handler is not close by they will eat the truffles.

Locally, trained dogs hunt for truffles and unlike pigs they will not eat the product. Also unlike pigs they need to be trained to find them. This is not a major problem. Dogs are easily trained to find them by smells that have a very clear scent even though they are below ground. Because dogs do not eat truffles the French are starting to use them now. Another reason for the French to switch to dogs from female pigs is dogs fit better in a car!

Oregon Truffles

The Oregon truffles industry smiles when looking at their product given that it is “ugly” as it grows below the ground and actually look as if that is where they are found. They are diminutive in size and these potato-like fruits are covered in warts and are very gnarled.

Most of them are about as large as golf balls or nuts and some might be larger. Scientists believe that in many parts of the Pacific Northwest truffles may be a plentiful as above-ground mushrooms. Truffles still remain a nearly untapped food source in the Pacific Northwest.

The local harvests include two types of truffles at present, the Oregon White truffle (tuber oregonense) and (tuber gibbosum). However, these two species are lumped into the single category of Oregon White truffle. The other is the Oregon Black truffle

While truffles are actually two species that fruit at different times of the year, but are sold as the same truffle. The Oregon Black truffle (Leucangia carthusiana) is the other form of truffle hunted or harvested in the state.

Many agricultural experts believe that Oregon could build a comprehensive industry based on truffles. The soil and trees indigenous to the state allow for nearly year-round growth, They are natural products and require no pesticides.

They believe that similar growth to the Oregon wine industry could be reproduced, albeit on a smaller dollar scale with truffles. While Oregon truffles are less expensive than foreign imports, 1 ounce of Oregon White Truffles costs about $15, Black truffles start at $18 per ounce. If that is not pricey, how  much are the comparable French ones? French Winter Black Truffles are $114 per ounce and French White is nearly $68 per ounce.

Many fine restaurants use Oregon truffles. If you would like to prepare your own truffle dish click here for recipes. Though you can purchase truffles in local gourmet shops and even some groceries, if you would like to join a dog led truffle hunt click here for information.

Truffle Festival

You know things are important to folks in Oregon when there is a festival. Check out the annual Oregon Truffle Festival held in Eugene, Oregon. For 2012 the Festival will run from January 27 through January29. You will be able to sample truffles, buy truffles and related products and even learn how to cook truffles. Festival Information.

While other states have limited truffle business, it seems that Oregon’s natural hospital climate and timber gives the State an edge. Speculators are talking about commercially growing and harvesting these delicacies. Will Oregon beat or tie France in the truffle industry as it did inthe making of Pinot wines?

Topics on this page: Oregon Truffles, Truffles Industry, Oregon Black Truffles, Oregon White Truffles

 

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Category: Dining, Inside Oregon