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Truffles and James Beard and Psilocybe mushrooms: Oh my!
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 |
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