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truffles-msg - 4/2/02

 

Truffles. The mushroom and the candy.

 

NOTE: See also the files: chocolate-msg, mushrooms-msg, cooking-oils-msg, p-pigs-msg.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given by the individual authors.

 

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

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Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 18:12:52 -0600

To: sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org

From: Gorgeous Muiredach <muiredach  at bmee.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Chocolate truffles (OOP)

 

>These sound like they are a type of chocolate candy. What makes these

>a truffle and not some other kind of chocolate candy? The specific

>ingredients used? The shape?

 

The shape and size of them.

 

>And I thought "truffles" were the mushroom things found on tree roots,

>often hunted for with pigs. Am I wrong and those are called something

>else? Is the chocolate one derived from the mushroom one?

 

You are correct, truffles are a type of mushroom (well, not quite, but good

enough for our purposes).  They are round, have an uneven surface, and most

of them are a dark, dark brown, or black.  Some of them are also white,

though not quite as usual.  They grow most usually within oaks'

roots.  They are hunted by pigs, though that's mostly lore, and nowadays

all kind of animals are used.  They cannot be cultivated, hence their high

prices.

 

Chocolate truffles do not contain truffles.  They are named so because of

their shape and size.

 

Gorgeous Muiredach

Rokkehealden Shire

Middle Kingdom

aka

Nicolas Steenhout

 

 

Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 18:17:20 -0600

To: sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org

From: Gorgeous Muiredach <muiredach  at bmee.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Chocolate truffles (OOP)

 

>I've often wondered that myself.  I guess they're small, round and very

>dark brown/black, so they look like the mushroom truffles.  Which, by

>the way, I found for sale at Wegman's the other day. If Craig wasn't

>there to stop me, I think I would have bought just one to see what the

>big deal really is.

 

Don't tell any of my professional uppity chef colleagues, but I think they

are highly over rated.  It is their aromas much more than their taste that

hits you.  If anything, get yourself some good truffle oil, instead of

buying truffles.

 

Gorgeous Muiredach

Rokkehealden Shire

Middle Kingdom

aka

Nicolas Steenhout

 

 

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker  at worldnet.att.net>

To: <sca-cooks  at ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Chocolate truffles (OOP)

Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 20:25:12 -0600

 

You might consider that the original word derives from the Latin vairant

"trufera" of the word "tuber" meaning "lump."   Since the confection

"truffle" is a ball or lump the name may hark back to the original meaning

or it may be as you suggest, a similarity to the fungii.

 

Bear

 

>> And I thought "truffles" were the mushroom things found on tree roots,

>> often hunted for with pigs. Am I wrong and those are called something

>> else? Is the chocolate one derived from the mushroom one?

>

>I've often wondered that myself.  I guess they're small, round and very

>dark brown/black, so they look like the mushroom truffles.  Which, by

>the way, I found for sale at Wegman's the other day.

>

>-Magdalena

 

 

From: "A. F. Murphy" <afmmurphy  at earthlink.net>

To: "SCA-Cooks maillist" <SCA-Cooks  at ansteorra.org>

Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Chocolate truffles (OOP)

Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 22:42:36 -0500

 

My turn to answer! *G* I get paid to tell people this one...

 

A truffle is chocolate blended with cream and often flavoring.  It is

formed into a shape, usually a ball, then covered. Often just rolled in

cocoa or nuts, commercially often enrobed in chocolate. The center is very

soft and rich. (It melts easily, too, don't ask me how I know this...)

 

The name, I have been told, though this I don't guarantee, comes from the

fungus. The chocolate was devised by French candy makers, and they wanted a

name that would convey the luxury and richness of the finished product.

 

Anne,

who represents chocolate companies in department stores, especially at this

time of year, which is probably why she's a bit giddy lately...

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org