Some of you may know that before I was blogging about books, I wrote a food blog (kitchen frolic). Alongside my 200+ cookbooks, I also read a LOT of food writing books, so I was excited to see The Truffle Underground available for request on NetGalley. I jumped at the chance to review a food writing book, which I haven’t done in a while (something I hope to change soon!)
Title: The Truffle Underground
Author: Ryan Jacobs
First Published: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Crown Publishing / Clarkson Potter
Categories: Food & Wine, Nonfiction
Acquired: from the publisher via NetGalley
*** Thank you to the publisher, Crown Publishing/Clarkson Potter, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
I have been lucky enough to enjoy truffles a few times in my life but after reading this book, I’m left wondering – were those even real truffles? The truffles shaved at tableside over my pasta. The fries drizzled in truffle oil. The jar of truffle salt I was gifted years ago. Real? Fake? *Sigh*
This incredibly well-researched and well-written exposé delves into the dark side of the truffle business – a world where the truffle supply is filled with secrets, sabotage, fraud, thefts and more.
Many will be surprised to learn how antiquated the truffle business is, considering how expensive and sought-after the delicacy is. The harvest of a “great” truffle is based more on the whims of nature, a bit of luck, and old-fashioned know-how, than on anything science can predict.
Jacobs does a great job of profiling all the steps it takes to bring a truffle from the dirt in the ground to the most expensive tables in the best restaurants in the world. The journey is intriguing and the characters are straight out of crime novels.
Some of the tales that this book tells read like a murder-mystery fiction more than a culinary non-fiction book. I mean, seriously – planting poisoned meatballs in the hopes of eliminating a rival’s truffle-hunting dog? Could anyone even make this stuff up?
But it’s all true. The truffle business is BRUTAL and incredibly flawed and Ryan Jacobs does a masterful job of bringing it all to life.
A GREAT SINGLE-SUBJECT CULINARY WRITING BOOK
I know that not everyone enjoys single-subject culinary histories like I do. I devour them (pun intended). Some, I admit, can be pretty boring, while others are surprisingly entertaining. Luckily for me, The Truffle Underground falls into the latter category. Jacobs is an investigative reporter and it really shows in the research evident in the book. However, what makes this book stand out among many other similar nonfiction books is that amongst all the facts and quotes and interviews, there’s an incredible story going on and Jacobs skillfully weaves that into his hard-boiled facts.
Food lovers will really enjoy this look into the world behind the truffle (although they may not be too happy to hear that their truffle salts and truffle oils are most likely fake). For those that are less food obsessed, this book is interesting and engaging enough that many will still find lots to enjoy.
READ IT FOR YOURSELF
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