Truffle Decadence

What is it about truffles that remind me of The Emperor's Clothes or Bad 'Art' being sold for ridiculously astronomical prices because...hmmm...because Art Critics make huge commissions and paybacks, tell US that yes indeed, the freeze dried pile of Dog Poo is indeed Art - and aren't we just stupid for not 'understanding' art?

Oh yes and let's not forget the 'message'. The statement the artist is trying to make. One day I will write about conversations I had with a famous sculptor in Germany and his take on art, art critcs and gullible public. Yes, laughter is healthy for you, especially all the way to the bank with fat checks in your hand.

So, what has this to do with the truffle? Well, I know I am not alone with my stance of 'what IS the big deal?' Yes, I have sampled white, black...in France, in Italy and I can only tell you that it - for me - does not justify all the excitement and certainly not the price. Yes, yes...I know, we are supposed to cheer and rave the truffle (because aren't we supposed to?) because the culinary In Crowd has deemed it so. Me, I jig to another tune. I also don't care much for Beaujolais nouveau either. Shocking, I know. It's a short season, everyone gets excited and frankly, I'd rather have water. I also don't follow fashion dictates unless I DO like something. But I digress.

Read this Truffle Sold For $277,000 (143,000 Euros) or this one as of this morning that sold for $330,000. Read here my 'truffle review' (scroll down about mid-page). I am convinced that if they weren't so difficult to find and were easy to cultivate, there would be hardly any interest in them because they wouldn't cost much more than a champignon.

It's all about marketing. And decadence in the case of truffles. Personally, I find it disgusting that more than a quarter million dollars was paid for lump of truffle weighing about as much as a chihuahua.

Let's see now. How many starving people could be fed for that? How much rice would that buy? Ummm, oh yes...and the buyer who was so willing to pay that money for a mushroom...would they give that same amount to the neighborhood needy? One could certainly open a Soup Kitchen and run it for several months on that. I can't help but wonder.

And the Emperor? He had no clothes on. He was publically naked. Just like the truth of decadently priced 'luxury foods'. Shameful and embarrassing.