Truffle
松露
The truffle is a subterranean fungus that lives in symbiosis with the roots of trees. It resembles a tuber and has an internal fleshy part or pulp (“gleba”) and rind (“peridium”). Truffles contain a high percentage of water, fibres and mineral salts absorbed from the soil through the roots of the tree with which they live in mutually beneficial association.
松露，是一种与树木的根共生共栖的地下菌类。它整体看上去呈块茎的形态，在其内部有果肉或浆汁（“产孢体”），其外层包有外皮（“真菌包被”）。松露与树木的树根以一种良性的共生共栖方式共同生存，它们彼此都能从这种方式中获利，就像松露就可以通过树木的根从土壤中吸收营养，使其本身含有大量的水分，纤维和矿物质盐份。
The trees which accept this “co-existence” with their roots more readily are the poplar, lime, oak, and willow.
松露能够很容易的与白杨树，菩提树，橡树和柳树的树根共生共栖。
The colour, flavour and odour of the truffles are determined by the specific characteristics of each tree. For example, truffles that grow close to oak trees have a more penetrating odour while those found close to limes will be lighter in colour and more fragrant.
松露所栖身的树木的特性决定该种松露的颜色，滋味和气味. 举例来说，在橡树附近生长的松露气味比较刺鼻，而在菩提树附近生长的松露则颜色较淡，气味芬芳。
The shape of the truffle depends on the type of soil. If the ground is soft, the truffle will be smooth and round whereas if the soil is compact, the truffle will be lumpy and knotty as it encounters greater difficulty in finding space for growth.
土壤的类型对松露的形状有很大的影响。如果土壤很软, 生长在其中的松露在外观上会圆滑一些并且表面较光滑；而如果土壤较紧密，生长在其中的松露的外观将会是粗糙和凹凸不平的，因为松露在紧密土壤中生长需要克服更大的阻力。
Truffle Hunting
找寻松露
How does one find truffles?
如何找到松露呢?
Firstly with experience, capability and moreover thanks to help from your dog.
首先，经验和能力是非常重要的；此外，你的狗将会给予你很大的帮助。
The “trifola” (Piedmontese name for truffle) dog can smell its fragrance from a distance and begins to dig into the land in the attempt of unearthing it.
" Trifola" 狗（“松露狗”-“T rifola” 是意大利皮埃蒙特-Piedmont地区对松露的称呼）能在远处就闻到松露的气味，并且立即开始掘开土地去找寻松露。
Truffle hunting is more profitable by night because the silence increases concentration and the humidity leaves more clues in the air. There is a school near Alba where dogs are trained to search for truffles in the same way as those trained for drug search.
晚间是找寻松露的最好时机。第一，晚间的宁静可以使精神更加集中；其次，晚间潮湿的空气让松露的气味转播的更远。在Alba 附近，有一所训练“松露狗”的专门学校，在这所学校里，“松露狗”们接受着与训练“毒品搜查狗”相似的训练，只不过目标是：寻找松露。
The “Trifolau”, i.e. truffle hunters are singular individuals who meet annually at the various truffle fairs to sell their treasures. They debate and joke with their customers, smell the fragrance of their competitors’ wares (to be able to evaluate the value of a truffle it is important to know how to smell it) and weigh the merchandise in the palms of their hand to guess at the weight. When a salt is agreed upon, they toast the buyer with a good glass of Pietmontese wine.
" Trifolau" （意为：松露猎人，通常都是独来独往以采集松露为生的人）每年都会参加各种不同的松露展览会去展示和销售他们视之为珍宝的松露。在这些展览会上，松露猎人们和客户们开怀畅谈并讨价还价；相互之间嗅闻彼此货品的气味(“嗅闻气味”是评估松露价值的一个重要的手段)；并且把松露放在手掌上来估计重量。当交易完成的时候, 松露猎人会敬买主一杯优质的Pietmontese 皮埃蒙特葡萄酒。
The Varieties of Truffle
松露的不同种类
For almost two thousand years, central Europe was the commercial center of the truffle but is was already known to many different cultures from prehistoric time.
欧洲中部作为松露的商业中心已经有差不多二千多年的时间了，这是人们在有正式的文字记录之前就已经公认的事实。
According to the ancient Romans, the best truffles came from Greece and Libya and for Bartolomeo Platina, a Doctor who lived in Cremona in the 15th century, from Africa, Syria and Greece. In the east, it is found in China and Japan and it is assumed that Native Americans also knew of its existence but there is no proof that it was used. In Europe, the most famous truffles were those of Provence, Perigord, Bourgogne. In Germany, they were already known at the start of the 18th century in the areas of Brandenburg and Saxonia. Although the black truffle is found practically all over the country, an international market was in Italy established only in the nineteenth century in imitation of France. This is true however only as regards the sale of the black truffle, because the white truffle was considered an object of trade between noble families in Italy and Piedmont in mediaeval times.
根据古罗马史册的记载，最好的松露来自希腊和利比亚；而根据一位在15世纪时住在Cremona地区，名叫Bartolomeo Platina的学者记录：最好的松露来自非洲，叙利亚和希腊。在东方, 松露生长于中国和日本；人们认为松露在美国本土也有生长，只是没有松露在美国被人们取用的证据。在欧洲，最出名的松露来自法国东南部的普罗旺斯地区，Perigord地区，和Bourgogne地区。在德国，早在18 世纪初期，Brandenburg 和Saxonia 地区的松露就已经很出名了。虽然黑松露在意大利已经非常普遍了，但是意大利的第一个国际松露市场在十九世纪的时候才借鉴法国松露市场的模式被建造起来。而且只有黑松露才被列入交易的范畴，因为在中世纪的时候，白松露在意大利和皮埃蒙特地区仅是作为贵族家庭之间交易的物品。
Let’s now have a closer look and discover the places where truffles grow.
现在让我们更近一步的研究一下松露和它们生长的地方.
Truffles are divided into two main families. Tuberaceae and Terfeziaceae.
松露被区分为二个主要的大类： Tuberaceae 和 Terfeziaceae 。
The most important species of truffles, prized and used in cooking, belong to the Tuberaceae group. Although they are classed as subterranean fungus, in certain conditions they may emerge above the surface of the ground. They live in symbiosis with trees such as oaks, poplars, hazels, willow, beech and also conifers.
目前市面上主要交易的，和在餐饮中使用的松露品种大部分都属于Tuberaceae 大类。虽然他们被分类为地下菌类, 但是在某些环境下他们可能在地面上浮现。他们通常与树木共生共栖, 比如橡树，白扬，榛树，柳树，山毛榉以及松树。
They usually ripen in the autumn but there are also spring, summer, and winter species. Seven of these are most well know in Italy and of economic and gastronomic interest.
它们通常在秋天成熟，但是也有春天，夏天，和冬天成熟的品种。在意大利，这个大类中有七个品种的松露是最著名，既因为它们的经济价值，也因为它们的烹饪价值。
The White Truffle
白松露
The white truffle of Piedmont is a hypogeum mushroom, which grows completely underground.
皮埃蒙特地区的白松露是一种地下菌类，它完全生长在土地底下。
It lives in “micorriza” symbiosis with the roots of arboreous plants land in particular with the “farina” and “cerro” oak trees, lime trees, willow trees and black and white poplar trees.
它们生长于树木茂盛的土地中，在这些树木的根部与树木共生共栖，特别是" farina" 和 "cerro"橡树, 菩提树, 柳树，以及黑白扬树和白白扬树。
The scientific name is tuber of the magnates, i.e. those with a lot of money because, since Roman Times, it has been considered rare and esteemed. In the range of edible truffles, the white truffle of Piedmont is by far the most precious and highly esteemed, also at international level.
白松露的学名是“贵人的松露”。因为自从罗马时代起，它已经被认为是珍稀和尊贵的松露。在所有可食用松露的范围中，皮埃蒙特地区的白松露是目前国际上公认的最珍贵和尊贵的一种。
It is round, pimply with a light yellow, greenish covering and a light hazelnut cover pulp – brown with numerous light, fine veins.
白松露呈圆形, 表面有小疙瘩，表皮的颜色是淡黄绿色；看上去像一个小的榛子果实–褐色并长满了小小的，有规律的纹理。
Its fragrance is unmistakable, aromatic, and fragrant with hints of garlic and spices. An ever-growing number of searchers hunt for the truffle and its fragrance attracts an ever-increasing number of qualified lovers of good food.
白松露的香味是独树一帜的，它非常的芳香并伴有淡淡的大蒜和香料的气味。白松露的搜寻者的数量持续上升；而它的独特的芬芳也不断的吸引着越来越多的美食爱好者。
和 tartufo 的烹饪
无论形状的大小,当我们从土壤里把白色的松露取出时，一定要小心地清理土壤的残余物。
同时一定不会与能毁灭它的质地的浓香的水一起清理，除了半硬的刷子和干的布料之外。我们可以在任何的家庭货物商店中使用一个特别的松露- 切片机，它会被直接地切成纤瘦的薄切片，然后放在盘子上等待被使用。在被使用之前无需切片，因为那样会使松露许多的浓香和滋味遗失。
依照美食专家的建议, 松露不会与非常复杂的菜肴和各种不同的酱混合，事实上它的非凡的浓香会被太多的滋味淹没。最简单而且最快速的令人惊讶的有效方法是把松露切成薄片放在二个炒蛋之上, 而且和剁碎的加过盐和几滴特醇橄榄油的生小牛肉也能完美的结合在一起。优良的 (在d'oeuvres<法式开胃菜>的外边以及第二道菜两者都能被包括) 的组合标准是由于’Fonduta’(融化的干酪),精致的，好吃的和芬香的干酪是由整头母牛的牛奶做成的，并颁发了质量保护标示图章, 藉由一种软的和容易融化的质地.(意大利 fondere意思<融化>)它能作为d'oeuvres<法式开胃菜>以及第二道菜来使用。同时松露也能提升许多开胃菜的滋味。
对于大量的切片松露来说,总是偏爱给自制的面类,如果和蛋放在一起甚至会更好,在包点牛油。这会让松露把其特性完全的表达出来。在 Langhe 的区域，tajarin(民族) ，与蛋一起制作，而且手工切削的极细的自制tagliolini面条, 和松露是例外地最佳配合，不过在世界其他的地方松露也能完美的和各种不同类型的面类配合。
如果饭没有太多的成分，就像奶油会令松露的质量受损，意大利焖饭是另外一个可以和松露完美的混合在一起的食品, 甚至超过了面类。它有无穷的多样性，比如加上以干酪为基础的沙司就会呈现出非常好的组合。
你无需绞尽脑汁的制作复杂的菜式，试试简单的煮沸的饭，烧到微烂(以便它更稳固),配合特醇橄榄油或牛油，洒上足够的切片松露，你将会非常惊讶于这个有滋有味组合的协调。