Everybody digs truffles now

 

Truffles seem to be reshaping menus faster than QR codes did in 2020. The luxury item has gone mainstream, popping up on French fries, pizza, and in hot sauces. Truffles are even the basis for a Nicolas Cage movie, Pig. And it doesn’t get more ubiquitous than Nic Cage.

Underground activity: Truffles don’t grow on trees—they grow underground near their roots. They’re rare, hard to find and grow, and have a short shelf life, hence their exorbitant price. White truffles can sell for more than $4,000 per pound.

Truffle shuffle: Thanks to a particularly good Italian white truffle harvest in 2015, prices dropped temporarily, opening the door for more restaurants to utilize the aromatic fungus, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Once customers got a taste, they wanted more, even when prices went up (kind of like how streaming services work).

So, if truffles are so expensive, how are they everywhere? Technically, they may not be, since many restaurants don’t actually use fresh truffles—they use truffle oil, which is often just artificially flavored cooking oil. It’s also something your favorite TV chefs probably hate.—BC