From The Oregonian, Nov. 7, 1977

Both Truffles, law elusive in Northwest

By LORRAINE RUFF, Correspondent, The Oregonian
ALBANY - Swine food. Some of the best eating around. That's truffles.
Not just the imported European kind, such as the Italian White
truffle which often sells for $300 a pound, but also the variety that
grows readily from the San Francisco Bay area north to British
Columbia, and from the Cascades to the Coastal Range.
But how does one find the elusive truffle? Well, one could follow the
practice developed decades ago in Europe, where man and pig went
snorting through the fields and forests together. The mature
subterranean trufle gives off odors reminiscent of fruity wine,
onions, garlic, and even sewer gas. The idea was to blend the pig's
sense of smell with the man's ability to weild a truffle fork.
But pigs are terribly fond of truffles, too, and often the goodies
were gobbled up by a swine with a habit before the horror-stricken
truffle collector could do his share.
Trained hounds are used in Europe now, according to James Trappe, a
professor of botany and plant pathology at Oregon State University who
participated during the weekend in a symposium on mushrooms at
Linn-Benton Community College. It's easier on the sensitibilities of
the truffle lover.
For those without a pig or dog, he said, truffles often can be
detected by the little humps of ground that are pushed up as the
truffle grows.
"Sometimes rain washes some of the soil aside," Trappe said, "and the
fleshy white truffle is exposed."
Truffles in this part of the world grow in close association with
Douglas fir trees and although there are very few identification aides
on the market, there are no toxic truffles in North America, said
Trappe.
Also participating in the symposium was Richard Triska, an Albany
criminal lawyer who explored the legality of mushroom experimentation
regarding the psychoactie varieties, such as psilocybin.
Triska said that there are all kinds of state and federal laws
affecting the possession and use of psychoactive drugs.
"But I'll give you odds that not one of those legislators knew that
some of the substances they were outlawing grew readily on their front
lawns," he said.
Next July 1, Oregon will adopt the Federal Uniform Control Substances
Act. At this time, it follows the Uniform Narcotics Act, which has the
psychoactive mushroom psilocybin on its list of prohibited substances.
Thast law, however, is founded on the Interstate Commerce Act, which
says you can't transport a controlled substance across state lines,
"which means that if you have psilocybin mushrooms in your field, what
right does the government have stepping in as long as you odn't
transport those mushrooms," said Triska.
Under the new law, a farmer who has psilocybin in his field
technically would be in violation of the law unless he could prove
that he had no knowledge of its presence, Triska said.
However, Triska said he can't envision law enforcement personnel
running through the fields looking for the magic mushroom and charging
farmers with possession.
"To date there have been no such cases," he said. "Besides, there's a
problem with identification," he said.
"Well, law enforcement officers might become involved with
intoxicatied individuals who do have the psychoactive mushroom in
their possession," said Triska. "But again it comes down to
identification. Is there probable cause for an arrest if the person
appears intoxicated and happens to have a bag of mushrooms in his
possession?"
Triska, who is on the advisory board of the state crime lab, said
he'll be visiting the state lab next week to find out if it has the
necessary materials with which to assay for psilocybin.
"I didn't see any law enforcement officiers at this conference," he
said, although the conference was open to them. "And I don't think
psychoactive mushroom identification figures into the training at the
state police academy, at least not as yet."
The conference concludes Monday with a field trip to a commercial
mushroom farm in Salem, a collection excursion and a visit to the USDA
Forest Regeneration Laboratory in Corvallis.
Mushroom cooking demonstrations by James Beard, interantionally known
culinary expert and author, will be given during the morning session
at Linn-Benton Community College.

Comment by poster: Evidently the first time James Beard became
acquainted with truffles was at this conference. Later, Dr. Trappe
sent him a sample of truffles, which he pronounced very good. Isn't it
odd how a fabled fungus, first found in 1876 in California, eventually
finds its way into the public eye? Another interesting aside: note the
prices for truffles in 1977: "$300 a pound" for Italian White truffles
(Tuber magnatum). I just got done sampling my first Italian White
truffles at $70...an ounce!

Posted as a courtesy by
Daniel B. Wheeler
www.oregonwhitetruffles.com