Original article from the Napa Valley Register
Photo credit: Nick Otto for the Napa Valley Register
On Thursday, a culinary treasure made its mark on Howell Mountain as black Périgord truffles, one of the world's most expensive foods, were successfully harvested.
Typically associated with countries like France, Italy, Spain and Australia, the rare delicacies were cultivated locally in an orchard of black oak and hazelnut trees inoculated with truffle spores. The orchard is expected to yield additional truffles in the coming weeks.
The harvest drew an esteemed group, including Robert Chang, Chief Truffle Officer of the American Truffle Company, and Professor Paul Thomas, the company's Chief Scientist. Accompanied by skilled dog trainers and their truffle-hunting dogs, the event also welcomed Chef Ken Frank, owner of La Toque at the Westin Verasa Napa and host of the Napa Truffle Festival, which concluded on Monday. The successful harvest highlights a growing interest in cultivating these prized fungi in California's wine country.
"With the festival this weekend we were very interested in finding local truffles that we will be able to feature side by side with the European black winter truffles this year," said Frank. "Truffle dogs had scouted and marked a couple of local truffières earlier in the week, so we knew there was a good chance of success, and indeed, we found quite a few truffles."
After nearly six years of cultivation, a truffle orchard planted in March 2017 has reached a new milestone with a remarkable harvest. First producing truffles in January 2023, the orchard yielded an impressive 533 grams during its latest harvest Wednesday, including a standout 391-gram truffle, earning a coveted "icon" classification. This achievement highlights the success of the long-term effort to establish a thriving truffle orchard.
"One of them was particularly big, weighing in at around 400 grams. Others were in the more normal 50-60 gram range," Frank said. "We served most of this big truffle for lunch over pasta to the attendees at the 'Grower' seminar at the Westin Verasa."
While the first truffles were harvested in the U.S. years ago, their quality and quantity have steadily improved with each passing season. Last year, this progress culminated in a significant achievement: American Truffle Company's truffles were deemed worthy of being served at a Michelin-star restaurant for the very first time, signaling their arrival on the world stage of fine dining.
With local production from several sources in the wine country increasing, Frank anticipates "being able to offer fresh local truffles on the menu at La Toque from time to time, as available, for the rest of the season, typically into March," he said.
The recent harvest of black Périgord truffles in Napa Valley marks a significant milestone in the culinary world, where freshness is a key to quality. Truffles lose half of their aroma and flavor within just five days of harvest, and only a quarter of their potency remains after 10 days.
Imported European truffles often take five to seven days to reach North American kitchens due to supply chain delays, transportation and U.S. Department of Agriculture clearance, arriving with diminished potency. By contrast, locally harvested truffles can be delivered anywhere in the U.S. within 24 hours, or even sooner for local restaurants. This freshness advantage is a game-changer for chefs like Frank, who understand the transformative impact of peak-quality truffles on their dishes.
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