Trouble with Truffles

The Unprepossessing Fungi

We were searching for the elusive truffle—in a small grocery store.  After we had compiled our assorted groceries on the counter, we bravely used our phrasebook Italian to ask if they sold any truffles.  I understood the answer to be “of course”, but I know that her rapid Italian was accompanied by a large smile.  She bent down and pulled out a little box lined with paper.  The box was opened lovingly and 5 truffles were proudly shown.  They were dirty white, knobby, and (oh, blasphemy) kind of ugly blobs.  Their pungent smell, kind of like old cheese, started to permeate the store.  A blistering demonstration of cooking methods ensued and when we shook our heads in bewilderment, she only talked louder and faster.  Then we asked for the price for one truffle.  Tartufo, apparently, are measured on high precision scales that resemble fancy silver calculators.  The scale showed 42 euros—for one!  We opted to give this Tuscan specialty a miss and to save our money for a cheaper variety of fungi—like my new favorite, Porcini.