A team of scientists has completed sequencing the genome of the truffle fungus, according to this NYT article. The Perigord black truffle is considered one of the ultimate foods for taste and the business of truffle production is highly secretive (explained in the article). Many people find truffles by using pigs, who are attracted to a sex hormone that the truffle produces in order to attract animals to help spread it's spores. Additionally, truffles have been thought to have aphrodesiatic effects on humans for thousands of years. Sex, food, science, what's not to love?
One quote in the story piqued my interest. The lead researcher was quoted as saying "[Truffle scavengers] don’t want us to get the magic recipe to produce truffles by the ton because then the price would go down.” I was attracted to this statement because recently I've been reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. One of Pollan's big points is that the industrialization of our food supply has lead to an overall decrease in the quality of our food. We have taken an approach of reduction: nitrates are the only thing we need to increase our corn yield, calories (in the form of corn, plus an absurd amount of antibiotics) are all we need to increase our beef/pork/chicken yield. And yet the consequence is less flavorful and nutritious food. (Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, look it up, among other things.)
My point is, Truffle growers, do not panic. If our previous attempts to find a "magic recipe" to industrialize foods is any indication, your product will still be superior and people who can really appreciate a good truffle will still shell out for your fungus balls.
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