親歷“全球最難的工作”：尋找松露
BERNHARD WARNER
2020-12-17
珍貴的意大利白松露繼續打破紀錄。
松露因太過稀少所以外號叫做白金，長期以來一直是奢華美食象征，基本上以克為單位計算，跟伊朗白鯨魚子醬和番紅花同為全世界最昂貴的食物之一。
今年也不例外。雖然餐飲業瀕臨崩潰，全球各地發布旅游禁令，而且遭逢全球經濟衰退，但并未影響有錢美食家斥巨資爭搶昂貴的白松露。
上個月在意大利阿爾巴松露鎮一年一度的白松露拍賣會上，世界各地的競拍者蜂擁而至競購0.9公斤重的大松露。放心，潛在買家根本聞不到白松露的香味，也沒法盯著找瑕疵。（跟2020年其他活動一樣，拍賣會是在線舉辦的。）
即便沒法一睹真容，本次展出的松露售價仍高達10萬歐元（約合12.1萬美元）。
“菌菇屆莫扎特”
從供求規律就能解釋售價為何如此之高。體積能達到這般水平的白松露在地球上只有極個別地方能找到，往往藏在地表之下，從橡樹、山毛櫸和楊樹根部吸收養分。一旦挖出就會迅速失去水分，迷人的泥土芬芳也逐漸消散。據說，剛出土的松露具有催情效用，更是平添了神秘感，古人稱其為“神之珍饈”。文藝復興時期白松露曾是歐洲宮廷內專享的奢侈品。18世紀意大利作曲家喬阿奇諾?羅西尼稱之為“菌菇屆莫扎特”。
意大利西北部的阿爾巴是最著名的白松露產地，意大利中部的亞平寧山脈也偶有發現，分布在托斯卡納、翁布里亞和羅西尼的故鄉勒馬爾凱等。大部分產地都面臨威脅。全球需求飆升之際，氣候變化和白松露林地棲息地迅速消失，都對供應形成了擠壓。
這樣一來，不斷攀升的松露價格不再僅僅是衡量享樂主義地位的標準。在大規模城市化、工廠化耕作和綠地減少的時代，松露價格通脹情況也是林地生態系統健康狀況受到威脅的指標。
意大利中部阿曼多拉山上個別地方偶爾能找到白松露。圖片來源：Original photo: Bernhard Warner
到樹林里去
“今年很艱難，”來自意大利阿曼多拉的tartufaio（松露獵人）倫索?巴爾東奇尼告訴我。多年來，巴爾東奇尼一直是我最可靠的松露供應商。今年他同意帶我到樹林里親自體驗尋找的過程。同行的還有兩條狗——露娜和西拉，狗的鼻子經過訓練，可以幫忙（希望如此）尋找氣味芬芳的松露。
露娜和西拉同屬于意大利獵犬品種，即拉格托-羅曼諾洛犬，之前幫過很多松露獵人。幾年前，露娜找到過一塊番茄大小的白松露，后來巴爾東奇尼以350歐元的價格賣給了松露經紀人。
西拉則是啃拖鞋高手。她才七個月大，在松露獵手圈是純新手。西拉也是我們華納家的新成員，疫情期間剛來。（居家隔離時女兒們極力勸說想養條狗。我提出一個條件，只接受拉格托。我的理由是，養狗就要養時不時能找來食物的那種。）
拉格托-羅曼諾洛松露犬露娜滿身是泥。圖片來源：Original photo: Bernhard Warner
露娜（上圖）相當專業。松露犬所有的理想特征露娜都有：專注，無所畏懼而且意志堅定。露娜嗅覺非常靈敏，動作也迅速，幾碼外就能追蹤到松露的氣味。
我們一進樹林，巴爾東奇尼就給露娜下各種指令：vai（前進！），su（爬上去！），giù（下來！）。露娜在各種崎嶇險峻的地形穿梭。西拉也很棒，一直在后面跟著露娜。兩條狗狗在泥濘中滑行，在倒伏的樹枝下爬動，跳過樹干，在厚厚的荊棘墻上查看小洞，還在溪流中溯游。西拉經常回來看我。“你能行嗎，老人家？”她的表情似乎在說。
露娜偶爾看上去像找到什么線索。她把鼻子貼在地上，用爪子把泥土刨開聞一聞，用爪子戳一下。然后找下一個。
期待讓人激動，也或許因為一路都是上山路，我的心怦怦直跳。我不止一次在白日夢里找到個大家伙，回家后做道意大利肉汁燴飯或寬面。
西拉經驗還是有點欠缺。畢竟之前只訓練過一次，就是把棉花球浸過白松露油然后埋在院子里。如果西拉循著氣味找到，就給點好吃的當獎賞。訓練時她表現不錯，我覺得挺有尋找松露的天賦。
然而一動起真格，用意大利人的話說，西拉“簡直糟透了”。從抵達可能發現松露的地方開始，西拉更想跟露娜玩，興趣可比狩獵大多了。只要有機會，西拉都會開玩笑地用前爪拍拍露娜，期望露娜回應。露娜一點也沒興趣。露娜停下研究周圍樹木尋找線索時，西拉總在分散注意力。
拉格托-羅曼諾洛犬露娜（右）聞到了什么，跳過森林灌木叢。圖片來源：Original photo: Bernhard Warner
露娜的鼻子趴在地上，對準有望收獲的地點，西拉欣喜若狂，繞著旁邊的露娜轉來轉去，轉的圈子越來越小。“西拉，calma，calma，”我用意大利語呼喚著。意思是冷靜下來。西拉對我吼了一聲，然后激動地沖著露娜叫。
我的心一沉。比賽一開始，西拉就像個沒法專心的棒球小子，運球手打給投手后都能弄反方向跑去三壘。不管怎樣，我就是這種感覺。露娜放棄了。西拉還是在拍她。
我向巴爾東奇尼道歉。他咧嘴一笑，向我揮了揮手。“沒事的，”他安慰說。
我們兩手空空走出樹林。兩條狗渾身是泥，朝著巴爾東奇尼的菲亞特熊貓汽車方向小跑。
這些年來，阿曼多拉周圍的樹林里出土過各種各樣的大塊松露。很多松露賣給了全國各地的餐館。品相最優質的則遠銷國外，出現在香港、倫敦或拉斯維加斯的米其林餐廳菜單上。我們可吃不起那么頂級的松露。
第二天早上，我去阿曼多拉村想買塊白松露帶回羅馬。我聽了巴爾東奇尼的建議，在離主廣場不遠的路上找到一家商店。店主說我很幸運，然后從冰箱里拿出個塑料容器，凹凸的松露塊擺了一排。“今天早上剛挖的，”他自豪地說。房間里充滿了松露的香味，戴著口罩都清晰可聞。
“你在哪找到的？”雖然知道他肯定不會透露地點，我還是問了一句。“就在附近，”他猶豫了一下說。
我花60歐元現金買了幾塊，加起來有45克，做一頓像樣的午餐肯定沒問題了。
產自阿曼多拉的新鮮白松露。圖片來源：Original photo: Bernhard Warner
第二天，妻子做了一份簡單的意大利肉汁飯。我把松露塊刮在盤子上，讓感官充分享受新鮮食材的美妙香味。
妻子算了一筆賬，如果在高級餐廳這樣一頓午餐可得花不少錢。我拍胸脯保證，明年一定要跟西拉帶著自己挖到的松露凱旋而歸。（財富中文網）
譯者：夏林
珍貴的意大利白松露繼續打破紀錄。
松露因太過稀少所以外號叫做白金，長期以來一直是奢華美食象征，基本上以克為單位計算，跟伊朗白鯨魚子醬和番紅花同為全世界最昂貴的食物之一。
今年也不例外。雖然餐飲業瀕臨崩潰，全球各地發布旅游禁令，而且遭逢全球經濟衰退，但并未影響有錢美食家斥巨資爭搶昂貴的白松露。
上個月在意大利阿爾巴松露鎮一年一度的白松露拍賣會上，世界各地的競拍者蜂擁而至競購0.9公斤重的大松露。放心，潛在買家根本聞不到白松露的香味，也沒法盯著找瑕疵。（跟2020年其他活動一樣，拍賣會是在線舉辦的。）
即便沒法一睹真容，本次展出的松露售價仍高達10萬歐元（約合12.1萬美元）。
“菌菇屆莫扎特”
從供求規律就能解釋售價為何如此之高。體積能達到這般水平的白松露在地球上只有極個別地方能找到，往往藏在地表之下，從橡樹、山毛櫸和楊樹根部吸收養分。一旦挖出就會迅速失去水分，迷人的泥土芬芳也逐漸消散。據說，剛出土的松露具有催情效用，更是平添了神秘感，古人稱其為“神之珍饈”。文藝復興時期白松露曾是歐洲宮廷內專享的奢侈品。18世紀意大利作曲家喬阿奇諾?羅西尼稱之為“菌菇屆莫扎特”。
意大利西北部的阿爾巴是最著名的白松露產地，意大利中部的亞平寧山脈也偶有發現，分布在托斯卡納、翁布里亞和羅西尼的故鄉勒馬爾凱等。大部分產地都面臨威脅。全球需求飆升之際，氣候變化和白松露林地棲息地迅速消失，都對供應形成了擠壓。
這樣一來，不斷攀升的松露價格不再僅僅是衡量享樂主義地位的標準。在大規模城市化、工廠化耕作和綠地減少的時代，松露價格通脹情況也是林地生態系統健康狀況受到威脅的指標。
到樹林里去
“今年很艱難，”來自意大利阿曼多拉的tartufaio（松露獵人）倫索?巴爾東奇尼告訴我。多年來，巴爾東奇尼一直是我最可靠的松露供應商。今年他同意帶我到樹林里親自體驗尋找的過程。同行的還有兩條狗——露娜和西拉，狗的鼻子經過訓練，可以幫忙（希望如此）尋找氣味芬芳的松露。
露娜和西拉同屬于意大利獵犬品種，即拉格托-羅曼諾洛犬，之前幫過很多松露獵人。幾年前，露娜找到過一塊番茄大小的白松露，后來巴爾東奇尼以350歐元的價格賣給了松露經紀人。
西拉則是啃拖鞋高手。她才七個月大，在松露獵手圈是純新手。西拉也是我們華納家的新成員，疫情期間剛來。（居家隔離時女兒們極力勸說想養條狗。我提出一個條件，只接受拉格托。我的理由是，養狗就要養時不時能找來食物的那種。）
露娜（上圖）相當專業。松露犬所有的理想特征露娜都有：專注，無所畏懼而且意志堅定。露娜嗅覺非常靈敏，動作也迅速，幾碼外就能追蹤到松露的氣味。
我們一進樹林，巴爾東奇尼就給露娜下各種指令：vai（前進！），su（爬上去！），giù（下來！）。露娜在各種崎嶇險峻的地形穿梭。西拉也很棒，一直在后面跟著露娜。兩條狗狗在泥濘中滑行，在倒伏的樹枝下爬動，跳過樹干，在厚厚的荊棘墻上查看小洞，還在溪流中溯游。西拉經常回來看我。“你能行嗎，老人家？”她的表情似乎在說。
露娜偶爾看上去像找到什么線索。她把鼻子貼在地上，用爪子把泥土刨開聞一聞，用爪子戳一下。然后找下一個。
期待讓人激動，也或許因為一路都是上山路，我的心怦怦直跳。我不止一次在白日夢里找到個大家伙，回家后做道意大利肉汁燴飯或寬面。
西拉經驗還是有點欠缺。畢竟之前只訓練過一次，就是把棉花球浸過白松露油然后埋在院子里。如果西拉循著氣味找到，就給點好吃的當獎賞。訓練時她表現不錯，我覺得挺有尋找松露的天賦。
然而一動起真格，用意大利人的話說，西拉“簡直糟透了”。從抵達可能發現松露的地方開始，西拉更想跟露娜玩，興趣可比狩獵大多了。只要有機會，西拉都會開玩笑地用前爪拍拍露娜，期望露娜回應。露娜一點也沒興趣。露娜停下研究周圍樹木尋找線索時，西拉總在分散注意力。
露娜的鼻子趴在地上，對準有望收獲的地點，西拉欣喜若狂，繞著旁邊的露娜轉來轉去，轉的圈子越來越小。“西拉，calma，calma，”我用意大利語呼喚著。意思是冷靜下來。西拉對我吼了一聲，然后激動地沖著露娜叫。
我的心一沉。比賽一開始，西拉就像個沒法專心的棒球小子，運球手打給投手后都能弄反方向跑去三壘。不管怎樣，我就是這種感覺。露娜放棄了。西拉還是在拍她。
我向巴爾東奇尼道歉。他咧嘴一笑，向我揮了揮手。“沒事的，”他安慰說。
我們兩手空空走出樹林。兩條狗渾身是泥，朝著巴爾東奇尼的菲亞特熊貓汽車方向小跑。
這些年來，阿曼多拉周圍的樹林里出土過各種各樣的大塊松露。很多松露賣給了全國各地的餐館。品相最優質的則遠銷國外，出現在香港、倫敦或拉斯維加斯的米其林餐廳菜單上。我們可吃不起那么頂級的松露。
第二天早上，我去阿曼多拉村想買塊白松露帶回羅馬。我聽了巴爾東奇尼的建議，在離主廣場不遠的路上找到一家商店。店主說我很幸運，然后從冰箱里拿出個塑料容器，凹凸的松露塊擺了一排。“今天早上剛挖的，”他自豪地說。房間里充滿了松露的香味，戴著口罩都清晰可聞。
“你在哪找到的？”雖然知道他肯定不會透露地點，我還是問了一句。“就在附近，”他猶豫了一下說。
我花60歐元現金買了幾塊，加起來有45克，做一頓像樣的午餐肯定沒問題了。
第二天，妻子做了一份簡單的意大利肉汁飯。我把松露塊刮在盤子上，讓感官充分享受新鮮食材的美妙香味。
妻子算了一筆賬，如果在高級餐廳這樣一頓午餐可得花不少錢。我拍胸脯保證，明年一定要跟西拉帶著自己挖到的松露凱旋而歸。（財富中文網）
譯者：夏林
The prized Italian white truffle continues to shatter records.
This precious fungus—nicknamed, white gold—has long been a symbol of gastronomic decadence, ranking, gram for gram, as one of the most expensive foods in the world—up there with Iranian beluga caviar and saffron.
This year is no different. A collapse in restaurant dining, worldwide travel bans, and a global recession haven’t stopped well-heeled gastronomes from splashing out huge sums on the prized tuber magnatum pico.
Last month, at an annual white truffle auction—held in truffle town: Alba, Italy—a bevy of bids flooded in from around the world for a handsome 2-pound specimen. Never mind that the hopefuls couldn’t smell the goods, or eyeball it for imperfections. (Like everything else in 2020, it was a virtual affair).
Still, the truffle on display went for €100,000 ($121,000).
"The Mozart of funghi"
The law of supply and demand explains such out-of-whack prices. The mighty white truffle can only be found in select places on Earth—well underground, drawing nutrients from the roots of oak, beech and poplar trees. Once dug up, it rapidly loses moisture and that mesmerizing earthy essence. It’s been said freshly unearthed truffles have the qualities of an aphrodisiac, adding to the myth and mystique that this is, as the ancients crowned it, the “food of the gods.” It was a luxury in the finest courts of Renaissance Europe. The 18th century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini called it the “Mozart of funghi.”
Alba in Northwest Italy is the most famous of the white truffle’s haunts, but there are also hot spots in the Apennines of Central Italy that span Tuscany, Umbria and Rossini’s homeland, Le Marche. Most of these patches are under threat. Climate change and the rapid loss of the white truffle’s woodlands habitat are combining to bulldoze supply just as global demand soars.
In this way, escalating truffle prices aren’t just a benchmark for epicurean status. The inflation is also an indicator for the health of a threatened woodland ecosystem in an age of mass urbanization and factory farming and dwindling green spaces.
Into the woods we go
“It’s been a difficult year,” Renzo Baldoncini, a tartufaio (truffle hunter) hailing from Amandola, Italy, told me. Over the years, Baldoncini has been my most reliable truffle supplier. This year he agreed to take me into the woods to forage for these precious tubers. Joining us were Luna and Scilla, two dogs with a special, highly attuned nose to unearth (hopefully) these aromatic wonders.
Luna and Scilla come from a long line of truffle hunters. They are of the Italian hunting dog breed, the Lagotto Romagnolo. A few years ago, Luna unearthed a tomato-sized white truffle that Baldoncini later sold to a truffle broker for €350.
Scilla, meanwhile, is a champion slipper-eater. At seven months old, she's still a truffle hunt rookie. She’s also the newest member of the Warner family, our pandemic puppy. (It was our girls who lobbied hard for a dog once lockdown hit. I had one condition: I’ll only consider a Lagotto. My rationale: I want a pup that could put food on our table every now and then.)
Luna (pictured above) is a pro. She has all the traits you want in a truffle dog. She is focused, fearless and determined. She puts her exceptional olfactory powers to quick work; she can pick up the scent of a truffle from a distance of several yards.
Once we entered the woods, Baldoncini directed Luna with a volley of rapid-fire one-word commands: vai (go ahead!), su (climb up!), giù (come down!). She covered remarkable ground, over tough, steep terrain. My Scilla kept up, admirably darting after Luna. They glided over muddy slop. They scrambled under fallen tree limbs. They hopped over trunks. They found holes in a wall of thick brambles, and splashed through streams. Scilla circled back frequently to check on me. You gonna make it, old man?, her expression seemed to say.
Every now and then, Luna would catch the whiff of something promising. She’d put her nose to the ground and move the earth away with a paw. She’d sniff again. Another jab with her paw. And another.
The anticipation was electric. Maybe it was the up-hill march—my heart was pounding. More than once I caught myself day-dreaming about a big find, something we could shave onto a dish of risotto or tagliatelle.
Scilla, meanwhile, showed her inexperience. We’d trained her just once, dousing cotton balls in white truffle oil before burying them in the yard. If she picked up the scent, we’d give her a treat. She did okay in these practice settings, enough for me to remark she’s got the right genes for this kind of work.
But when it came to the real thing, Scilla was, as the Italians say, “un disastro.” From the moment we got to the secret truffle spot, Scilla was more interested in playing with Luna than going on a serious hunt. Every chance she got, she would playfully swat at Luna with her front paws, and expect Luna to reciprocate. Luna was having none of it. Whenever Luna stopped to study the wooded surroundings for clues, Scilla would try to distract her.
And now that Luna had her nose to the ground, zeroing in on what we hoped was a big score, Scilla went wild. She zipped around and around her four-legged friend in tighter and tighter concentric circles. “Scilla, calma, calma,” I implored her in Italian. Calm down. Scilla barked at me, and then at Luna, excitedly.
My heart sank. With the game on the line, she was that distracted Little Leaguer, the one who runs the wrong way, to third base, after hitting a dribbler to the pitcher. Or that’s how I felt, anyhow. Luna gave up. Scilla swatted at her again.
I apologized to Baldoncini. He grinned, and waved me off. “Not a problem,” he said reassuringly.
We walked out of the woods empty-handed. Covered in mud, the dogs trotted ahead in the direction of Baldoncini’s Fiat Panda.
All kinds of big scores have been unearthed in the woods around Amandola over the years. A fair number of truffles have been sold on to restaurants all over the country. The best of the best travel further, exported abroad. They land on the menu of Michelin-star restaurants in Hong Kong, London or Las Vegas. There would be no such big score for us.
The next morning, I went into the village of Amandola to see about buying a white truffle to take back to Rome. At Baldoncini’s advice, I found a shop just down the road from the main piazza. I was in luck, the shopkeeper told me. He pulled a plastic container out of the refrigerator and lined up a cluster of warty wonders. “From this morning,” he said proudly. The room filled with the scent of truffle, penetrating the protective layers of my face mask.
"Where'd you find them?" I asked, knowing he'd never reveal his secret spot. "Nearby," he said after a slight hesitation.
In an all-cash transaction, I paid him €60 for a few nuggets. They added up to 45 grams, enough for a decent lunch.
The next day my wife made a simple risotto. I shaved the truffle nuggets over our dishes and let the aroma do its job, overtaking my senses.
A lunch like this at a fancy restaurant, my wife calculated, would set us back a small fortune. Next year, I over-promised, Scilla and I will bring home one of our own.
