If you’re thinking about my baby, it don’t matter if you’re black or white’
These Michael Jackson lyrics popped in the head as we sat down to a decadent meal starring the exotic truffle at La Cucina. Shaved, oil, salsa and even caviar — the menu at Hyatt Regency’s Italian restaurant presented the truffle, both white and black, in all its glory.
Joining the La Cucina team along with “food guru” Karen Anand was Italian truffle specialist Silvia Landucci, whose products from family company Boscovivo have been used in the specially curated festival menu. “Truffle is a great gourmet ingredient and very versatile. It is my aim to bring the products to India in the coming months and I want to start using it beyond Italian food and encouraging others to do so,” said Karen.
Featuring both classic as well as creative recipes, the La Cucina menu uses Boscovivo products like truffle oil, truffle salsa and truffle caviar, apart from fresh truffles. “We started the company in 1985 with the philosophy of respecting the ingredient and wanting to do more with truffle apart from just shaving it on top of food,” said Silvia who hails from a Tuscan-Umbrian family, both regions well-known for their wild truffles.
The meny curated by Karen and Silvia will be available for dinner at La Cucina till February 28. Smell the aroma and taste the tuber without travelling to Italy. It’s totally win-win! t2 did just that on Friday.
What: Truffle Festival, in association with t2
Where: La Cucina, Hyatt Regency
When: Till February 28, 6pm to 11pm
Meal for two: Rs 2,800-plus
SILVIA’S FUN TRUFFLE FACTS
♦ Wild truffles can be found all over Italy, but just that regions like Umbria, Piedmont and Alba have marketed their truffles very well.
♦ There are five types of truffles that can be consumed. The most famous is white winter truffle whose price can go up to 6,000 Euro per kg.
♦ Truffles have been identified as tuber by scientists, probably because it looks like potatoes rather than mushrooms.
♦ Middle-sized female dogs are used to hunt truffles, with the most famous breed being Lagotto Romagnolo.
♦ Pigs, used for truffle hunting in France, destroy truffle areas with their big feet and are banned for truffle hunting in Italy.
Text: Deborima Ganguly and Brinda Sarkar
Pictures: Pabitra Das, Rashbehari Das and Shuvo Roychaudhury
