In pursuit of the black diamond

Truffles always

Hidden from view in the basement of a building on the outskirts of Geneva, the secret laboratory of Léman Truffes is a gourmet delicacy for insiders only. The owners of this young company, Yvan Juston and Christophe Coissieux, strive to distribute the finest truffles from France. Truffle growers from father to son, the latter was even a sommelier before becoming a broker. How does it work? Purchase, cleaning, sorting, grading and resale. After more than a decade roaming the hills of the Drôme region, they opened their business in the midst of a health crisis. “The beginnings were very difficult, but we hung in there. It’s a good thing the restaurants stayed open.

Still opaque in many respects, the truffle market remains a matter of supply and demand. Even if many growers have installed automatic watering systems, a year without water is a bad vintage for the mushroom. “Watering the soil with controlled irrigation allows growers to produce truffles even in dry weather. Despite the fact that research in the field remains laborious and uncertain, we are witnessing the beginnings of a form of truffle democratization that is leading to a standardization of prices,” declares Christophe Coissieux. While prices fluctuate less and less with each harvest, there’s no point in imagining that you can plant truffle oaks and get 100% success. Harvesting is a matter of patience and self-sacrifice, depending as much on the soil as on the lunar calendar.

Extra soul

From a quality point of view, the truffles bought by the two young owners come from the hills of the Drôme, growing in sandy soil that allows them to develop perfectly. “Even if the end-of-year festivities are conducive to heavy consumption, the best time to enjoy truffles is now,” reminds the owner. In terms of legitimacy, no label recognizes the quality of the French product. With China and Australia leading the way, Spain has become the world’s largest producer of truffles in the space of a few years. With 45 tonnes of the black diamond to be harvested in 2019, the Iberian version of the mushroom is putting pressure on the French industry.

Partly subsidized by the European Community, Spain has optimized its truffle production with intensive cultivation, making up for centuries of history and know-how. “They produce enormously, putting pressure on the market and increasing speculation. Truffle on the cake: some French companies buy Spanish avatars and then resell them with the label made in France. “This is simply deceptive. In the end, consumers are lost and can’t tell the difference between real and fake,” says Christophe. This speculation, with its potentially huge financial repercussions, is far from under control, and the truffle remains more vulnerable than ever.

In bistro mode

In the kitchen, Le Bologne chef Florian Le Bouhec offers it as a gourmet appetizer in sandwich form, like a croque-monsieur. Cut into thin strips, the truffle is coated with a generous layer of butter and sprinkled with a few grains of salt. “I like to cook it simply, to show it off as much as possible. It’s the star,” says the chef. Heading for the village of Veyrier in the Geneva countryside, where chef Patrick Laporte has been cooking truffles for as long as he can remember. Owner of the Café de la Réunion, he dedicates an entire menu to truffles. Transparent cream of potato soup and scrambled eggs with truffle start the festival, before giving way to unilateral scallops and truffled Jerusalem artichokes. The supreme of Bourgogne free-range chicken truffled under the skin and cardoons provide comfort and a gourmet touch. “Don’t fall into the trap of counterfeit products. It’s better to work with professionals than amateurs. Truffles are such a beautiful product; it’s better to pay tribute to them in the best possible way than to spoil them with poor quality”.