http://www.chocolatefunk.com/truffles/black-truffles/ Black truffles are not exactly made out of chocolate, but black truffles are definitely a delicacy! en-us Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:55:03 EST Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:55:03 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Looking for some good black truffles? Of course, aren't we all? There is nothing more sublime in the fungus family then the sweet and unique taste of black truffles. For thousands of years they have been on the tables of the most influential and wealthiest people in Europe and across the globe. They cannot be grown commercially and are a tricky to get a hold of, but once you have your hands on some, you are in luck, because you can either make an out-of-this-world dish or you can sell them for a healthy profit! The cost of black truffles Black truffles, also known as Black French Perigord truffles are named after the region in France where they grow. The Perigord region is ideal for truffles to grow because of its woodlands where they grow naturally. There are a few methods that the locals employ to harvest the black truffles. The most common method is with a pig or a dog, the dog is trained to find them while the pig is naturally inclined to do so - although the pig is looking for them for itself and not for you, so they have a tendency to want to fight you for their prize. It is interesting to note that the pigs are attracted to black truffles because they smell something like a boar in rut! See, black truffles are smart too! Another way that the locals have found to get their hands on the beloved truffle is to follow the flies, they tend to swarm around areas where truffles are growing when they are ripe. People love the delicate and pungent taste of the truffles, so much so that they are willing to pay upwards of $900 per pound! the price has been pushed so far because of the increasing demand and the low production. ABout a hundred years ago the French were harvesting between 1500-200 tons of black truffles every year and now that number has dropped to a mere 120 tons a year. cc Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:55:03 EST