French Truffles
Provence is the largest truffle producing region in France
Truffles are a fungus - an underground mushroom so to speak. They require limestone soils, a warm climate and a nice tree (usually oak) in which to grow under.
Truffle hunting season lasts from November to March and these days, dogs are used to hunt them down rather than pigs, who were perhaps a little too fond of the truffle themselves. The most prized truffle is the 'truffe du Perigord' or melanosporum tuber. Chefs adore them, and winter menus are stuffed full of dishes containing the 'black diamonds'.
The market season in the St Tropez and Var region begins in January with the Fête de la Truffe. Market stall vendors line the streets of Grimaud shoulder to shoulder with some of the region’s finest chefs to share with visitors their passion for truffles. Menus were exhibited with a great variety of dishes each with its own inventive twist on truffle based dishes.
