<<Back to Itinerary Search Result 12 Night Scandinavia & Russia Cruise on Celebrity Constellation from 27-Jun-2011 to 09-Jul-2011

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No. of Nights: Destination: Ship: Departs:

12 Nights Europe Celebrity Constellation Amsterdam, Holland

Date Mon, Jun 27 Tue, Jun 28

Port/City Amsterdam, Holland At Sea

Activity

Description

Depart 4:30 PM

Wed, Jun 29

Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany At Sea Stockholm, Sweden Helsinki, Finland St. Petersburg, Russia St. Petersburg, Russia Tallinn, Estonia At Sea Copenhagen, Denmark At Sea Amsterdam, Holland

Docked

Arrive 9:00 AM

Depart 11:59 PM

Thu, Jun 30

Fri, Jul 01

Docked

Arrive 10:00 AM

Depart 5:00 PM

Sat, Jul 02

Docked

Arrive 10:00 AM

Depart 6:30 PM

Sun, Jul 03

Docked

Arrive 7:30 AM

Mon, Jul 04

Docked

Depart 6:00 PM

Tue, Jul 05 Wed, Jul 06

Docked

Arrive 7:00 AM

Depart 3:00 PM

Thu, Jul 07

Docked

Arrive 8:00 AM

Depart 5:00 PM

Fri, Jul 08

Sat, Jul 09

Arrive 5:00 AM

Departure Dates

Inside

Ocean View

Veranda Concierge Aqua Suite

Jun 27Jul 09, 2011

1,899.00 2,619.00 USD USD

3,149.00 SOLD OUT N/A USD

SOLD OUT

Celebrity Cruises reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per guest per day on all guests if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeds $65.00 per barrel. *Prices shown in U. S. Dollars. Prices are per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy, specified stateroom category, in USD and subject to availability.Governmental departure taxes and fees are additional. Certain restrictions may apply. **The Exciting Deals rate program is valid for new bookings only, is not combinable with any other offer or promotion. Prices are per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy, in U.S. or Canadian dollars as noted. This offer is based on stateroom availability and may be withdrawn without notice. Governmental departure taxes and fees are additional. Certain restrictions may apply.

y y y y y

Shipboard accommodations Ocean transportation Most meals Some beverages Most entertainment aboard the vessel

y y y y

Air transportation Transfers Shore excursions Specialty restaurant fees

y y y y y

Some beverages Photographs Gratuities/service fees Medical services AquaSpa service, etc.

Took me lots of time to answer to my questinon if i should send you this e-mail or not...(i might not see you again and why should i open my hurt in front of someone which i had THE CHANCE to know him only 3 days?????) i am still thinking of you... because propably he wanted from us to see how importand is when you find your other half to fight and to keep it next of you with all of the ways you can use.He left us only with the memories just to let us compare.It was kind of lesson and finally he saw us what is good for us!This i believe is the reason you are asking for! Boat drills always reminds me you and me on this place together very close talking(almost whispering).Even if i m never going to the emergency station any more whenever is the signal for the boat driil you are coming all of those years on my mind.Even in a real emergency situation on SM.We had fire at the pods and anouncement for fire was on my duty.I WAS DRESSING UP AND I REMEMBER VERY CLEAR YOU WAS I MY MIND ALL OF THIS MOMENTS.I m not joking with this.After that i wanted to call you but i knew you are with somebody,so i enter on facebook and i was watching your photos(i almost talking to you).This memory will never go out of my mind and i wanted to share it with you when you come onboard but i couldnt keep it . Yubita mea try to relax and dont thing about this company anymore.There are only some days more.try to have rest and do not get upset.Just think how big and warm hags i m going to give you when you come to me and everything will be better! We arriving in Copenhagen at one hour.I have to prepare the engines for the stand by prosedure.I m closing this email with a lot of kisses and one BIG I MISS YOU!Filakia polla My baby, Yesterday it was pay day and they are reseting the accounts so that s why I had my internet account inactive and I was not able to connect but trust me I was thinking a lot of you. You are right regarding all this time that we spent far away one from each other.Trust me every night before I go to sleep I dream with open eyes the moment that I will see you again. Slowly, slowly the moment is coming closer. 25 more days

So you just start your contract. That s good to know because maybe after this 10 days spent together I will go home and I will request to Miami Office for a contract on Constelation.

Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 03:00:31 -0700 From: marialarisa_murariu@yahoo.com Subject: My baby cocoshel mic To: ksenos83@hotmail.com Good morning my baby, Oooo, i was missin iubita am sunat eu la pris com si la rvg si la apetrans,nu au astia cursa directa,este autocarul care vine de la bucuresti si tre sa il prinzi,cica iti dau numarul soferului il suni si el opreste in bacau dar din cate am inteles in jur de 19:00 ajung in bacau iar tu aterizezi la 20:00,ma mai interesez si iti scriu,sa vad si trenul dar ma gandesc ca faci cam mult cu trenul,iti scriu eu o varianta,sau sa vina dan dupa tine sau chiar tatal tau,gasim noi o varianta,hai ca mai ai putin si esti acasa,te pupam si te asteptam Good morning my baby, Oooo, i was missing this words - Koukla mou... I was so anxious to come to internet and to check if i received an e-mail from you. You made me happy again. I am asking myself why God wanted us to be so far from each other so long and now to bring us back again. There is a reason for sure in all this... No doubt!!! Maybe somehow is better because we had the chance to realize how much and how important we are one for eachother, he gave us other relation which didn t work good at all and to make us understand what is better for us. I was thinking that you are busy so that s why you didn t had time to write me, that s why I have told you not to worry because I understand I see myself how much I work(and even like this I am not working as much as you do). I have 6 more days to live this kaka (I can t anymore- I get angry with every small detail, I have headaches every day, I am stressed ) and I have 27 more days until we will meet. Is good that I choose to see you on 27 because I need these 3 weeks to settle down, to relax and to be the way that I used to be before. But what is the position that you have now that you are now? Why you work so much? Why they are killing you like this?

My baby, wait a little bit more and I will come over there, we will have a great time together and still I will give you time to rest )), I will not make you tired and on top of this I think that you will need a massage )) Take care of you, and I will be back on internet a little latter. I finned the boat drill (and during it I was remembering our boat drills I think that you were 901 or something like that How beautiful moments we had before even the moment when you wanted to break my head with the lamp looks funny for me ha haha (I actually I was scared in that time anyhow maybe I had also my part of fault). Baby, just relax, take a rest and charge you batteries. I miss you and I miss the moments when we were together but I know that other better than those will going to come. Take care. Miss you and filakia

----- Forwarded Message ----From: Activ Travel Dorohoi <activtravel2@yahoo.com> To: tanase geanina <tanasegeanina@yahoo.ca> Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 4:05:58 PM Subject: Re: Copie Pasaport Maria Larisa Murariu BUNA ZIUA, VA ATASEZ MAI JOS BILETUL DE AVION

Condurache Daniel ActivTravel Botosani Str. Mihail Kogalniceanu, Nr. 1, Tel/Fax: 0231/518.746; Mobil : 0745.681.432.

Informatii ruta Data rezervarii: L, 6.iunie , 2011 Status: Confirmat Numar confirmare: Q3H1NV Trebuie sa dati aceasta informatie insotita de ID pentru a accesa ruta dumneavoastra. Plecare - Roma - Fiumicino (FCO) Bacau (BCM) - Ma, 07. iun. Ma, 07. iun. - Zborul0B 216YR-BAI pleaca de laRoma - Fiumicino (FCO) la16:35. ajunge in Bacau (BCM) la20:00. Book a hotel in Bacau Detalii despre pasager MARIA LARISA MURARIU (Adult(peste 14 ani), Female)

Descriptor de inregistrare terta parte

Nu a fost furnizat descriptor de inregistrare terta parte. AIRSAVINGS SERVICES

Servicii speciale MARIA LARISA MURARIU Bagaj de cala FCO-BCM $ 15,00 EUR

INFORMATII DE CONTACT Adresa agentiei catargus travel Aero Network Consulting

Buzesti 71 Bucharest, 7000 Romania Telefon agentie:0040745681432 Fax agentie0040231518746 Telefon la origine:0040727505460 Telefon la destinatie:0040727505460 contact@activtravel.ro

Regulament bilet Cerere 1 Class O -Class O - Fiecare modificare facuta este taxata cu 40 EUR per pasager per segment - Modificarile sunt permise cu pana la 3 ore inainte de zbor - Modificarile de nume nu mai sunt permise pe un itinerariu unde unul din segmentele zbor a trecut, pentru niciuna din cursele ramase - Biletele sunt nerambursabile - Exista un numar limitat de bilete la aceasta clasa - Va rugam sa consultati Conditiile de calatorie pentru mai multe detalii

Imbunatatire loc Nu este disponibila nicio imbunatatire pentru acest zbor.

Detalii cu privire la modalitatile de plata Credit agentie (confirmat) AG EUR 175 EUR

My baby, I was asking my bastard Cellar Master to give me off today from one month already...But he forgot and he gave to somebody else...i was so upset that i even couldn t talk with him I have the feeling that he is quite afraid of me too and he gave me 2 hours off during the busy time and I have been outside I got in love with Kotor super, super beautiful you live in one of the most beautiful places in Europe and very Caribbean anyhow I went in the city I have seen Galion, and I wanted to go over there to have my lunch but it was 11 in the morning and I didn t know if is open or not and I changed my mind and I went in the old city looking for the Riedel shop. Of course that I didn t find it because after I have remembered that you told me that is in Budva I went at one terrace I had one pizza and a glass of wine, not bad at all and I asked the waiter which was a very nice guy from Belgrade , I have asked about Divna, and after (I knew that she had a hotel, a terrace and a yacht) and he told me about Uranus. I went over there but she was at car racing and the waiters they gave me the opener THANK YOU SUPER MUCH!!! I LOVE IT!!! And after I suppose to go back to meet her at 3 pm but I had to stay later to work because we had 400 guests coming from tour at 2:30. Fuck them and after I finished I went to sleep but of course that am so stressed lately that I even can t sleep in the day and in the night too. At 6 a clock we had the departure, and I was watching on the window the view Fuck this place is absolutely amazing, I can move tomorrow over there Anyhow is 3:30 in the morning, I will smoke one more cigarette and I will go to sleep because tomorrow I am off in Corfu and I will go outside to see around. I forgot to tell you that I bought a ashtray from Kotor super nice very similar wit the design that I have in living room Very beautiful Anyhow I will go in a few days to buy my flight ticket and I will apply for Cunard. I can t wait to see you again and to spend quality time with you. I was watching last night the movie with us. I was crying How good time we had. Atalon mmm here only chipatone wines I started to have new drinks I am drinking Bacardi with grenadine and lime juice or Campai and grapefruit. This are the drinks that I have lately one or 2 and go to sleep I even forgot the taste of Corona I don t feel like having beer. At all My baby Truffle (fungus) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Question book-new.svg This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)

Truffle Scientific classification Kingdom: Division: Subphylum: Fungi Ascomycota Pezizomycotina

Class: Pezizomycetes Order: Pezizales Family: Tuberaceae Genus: Tuber Species

Tuber aestivum Tuber bituminatum Tuber bonnetii Tuber borchii Tuber brumale Tuber gibbosum Tuber macrosporum Tuber maculatum Tuber magnatum Tuber melanosporum Tuber mesentericum Tuber nitidum Tuber puberulum Tuber rapaeodorum Tuber rufum Tuber scleroneuron

Tuber separans Tuber sinense

A truffle (pronounced / tr f l/) is the fruiting body of an underground mushroom; spore dispersal is accomplished through fungivores, animals that eat fungi. Almost all truffles are ectomycorrhizal and are therefore usually found in close association with trees.

There are hundreds of species of truffles that are big, but the fruiting body of some (mostly in the genus 'Tuber') are highly prized as a food. The 18th-century French gastronome Brillat-Savarin called these truffles "the diamond of the kitchen". Edible truffles are held in high esteem in French, Spanish, northern Italian and Greek cooking, as well as in international haute cuisine.

The genome sequence of the Prigord black truffle was published in March 2010.[1] Contents [hide]

1 Taxonomy, nomenclature and codification 2 Etymology 3 Biology 4 Types 4.1 White truffle 4.2 Black truffle 4.3 Chinese truffles 4.4 Summer or burgundy truffle 4.5 Other species 4.6 Truffle-like species 5 History 5.1 Antiquity 5.2 Islam

5.3 Middle Ages 5.4 Renaissance and modern times 6 Cultivation 6.1 In New Zealand and Australia 7 Extraction 8 Culinary use 8.1 Truffle oil 8.2 Truffle vodka 9 Notes 9.1 References 10 External links

[edit] Taxonomy, nomenclature and codification Wiki letter w.svg Tuber View the Mycomorphbox template that generates the following list Mycological characteristics glebal hymenium hymenium attachment is not applicable lacks a stipe This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

spore print is blackish-brown to brown ecology is mycorrhizal edibility: choice [edit] Etymology

The origin of the word truffle appears to be the Latin term tuber, meaning "swelling" or "lump", which became tufer- and gave rise to the various European terms: French truffe, Spanish trufa, German Trffel, Dutch truffel and Croatian tartuf. In Portuguese, the words trufa and tbera are synonyms, the latter closer to the Latin term. The German word Kartoffel ("potato") is derived from the Italian tartufo (truffle) because of superficial similarities.[2] [edit] Biology

The mycelia of truffles form symbiotic relationships with the roots of several tree species including beech, poplar, oak, birch, hornbeam, hazel, and pine.[3][4] They prefer argillaceous or calcareous soils which are well drained and neutral or alkaline.[5][6] Truffles fruit throughout the year, depending on the species and can be found buried between the leaf litter and the soil. [edit] Types [edit] White truffle White truffle washed and cut

The "white truffle" or "Alba madonna" (Tuber magnatum) comes from the Langhe area of the Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the city of Alba. It is also found in Croatia, on the Istria peninsula in the Motovun forest alongside Mirna river.[7] Growing symbiotically with oak, hazel, poplar and beech and fruiting in autumn, they can reach 12 cm diameter and 500 g, though are usually much smaller. The flesh is pale cream or brown with white marbling.[8] Like the French black truffles, Italian white truffles are very highly esteemed (illustration, left). The white truffle market in Alba is busiest in the months of October and November, where a 1.6-pound white truffle sold to "The Cody" of southern California for $150,000 on November 8, 2009 during the 79th White Truffle Festival. In 2001, the Tuber magnatum truffles sold for between US$1,000 and $2,200 per pound;[9] as of December 2009 they were being sold at 10,200 per kilogram.[10]

Giancarlo Zigante and his dog Diana found one of the largest truffles in the world near Buje, Croatia. The truffle weighed 1.31 kilograms (2 lb 14 oz) and has entered the Guinness Book of Records.

The record price paid for a single white truffle was set in December 2007, when Macau casino owner Stanley Ho paid US$330,000 (165,000) for a specimen weighing 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb), discovered by Luciano Savini and his dog Rocco. One of the largest truffles found in decades, it was unearthed near Pisa and sold at an auction held simultaneously in Macau, Hong Kong and Florence.[11] This record was then matched on November 27, 2010 when Ho again paid US$330,000 for a pair of white truffles including one weighing nearly a kilogram.

The Tuber magnatum pico white truffle is found mostly in northern and central Italy, while the Tuber borchii, or whitish truffle, is found in Tuscany, Romagna, the Marche and Molise. Neither of these is as aromatic as those from Piedmont.[8] [edit] Black truffle Black Prigord Truffle

The "black truffle" or "black Prigord truffle" (Tuber melanosporum) is named after the Prigord region in France and grows exclusively with oak. Specimens can be found in late autumn and winter, reaching 7 cm in diameter and weighing up to 100 g.[8] Production is almost exclusively European, with France accounting for 45%, Spain 35%, Italy 20%, and small amounts from Slovenia, Croatia and the Australian states of Tasmania and Western Australia (see below). In 1900, France produced around 1,000 metric tonnes (1,100 short tons) of Tuber melanosporum. Production has considerably diminished in the past century, and is now around 20 metric tonnes (22 short tons) per year, with peaks at 46 metric tonnes (50 short tons) in the best years. About 80% of the French production comes from southeast France: upper Provence (dpartements of Vaucluse and Alpes -de-HauteProvence), part of Dauphin (dpartement of Drme), and part of Languedoc (dpartement of Gard); 20% of the production comes from southwest France: Quercy (dpartement of Lot) and Prigord. The largest truffle market in France (and probably also in the world) is at Richerenches in Vaucluse. The largest truffle market in southwest France is at Lalbenque in Quercy. These markets are busiest in the month of January, when the black truffles have their highest perfume. As of December 2009, black truffles were sold for about 1,000 per kilo in a farmer's market[12] and 3,940 per kilo in a retail saler.[13] [edit] Chinese truffles

The "Chinese truffle" (Tuber sinensis, also sometimes called Tuber indicum) is a winter black truffle harvested in China. Due to their bountiful growth, Chinese truffles are often exported to the West as an inferior-quality substitute of Tuber melanosporum. Some truffle exporters or delicatessen shops sell Chinese truffles into which extracts of the real Tuber melanosporum are introduced. These truffles are often sold at a high price, marked as Tuber melanosporum.[14] Another type of Chinese truffle is the Tuber himalayensis, which visually looks so much like the Tuber melanosporum that a microscope is needed to differentiate them. The Tuber himalayensis is harvested in very small quantities in the Chinese Himalayas due to the high altitude, and is not as frequently met on world markets as the Tuber sinensis. The third type of Chinese truffle is the Chinese summer white truffle, which does not yet have a scientific name. [edit] Summer or burgundy truffle Main article: Summer truffle Black Summer Truffle (in Italian: Tartufi Neri Estivi) in a shop window in Rome, Italy

The black summer or burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum/uncinatum) is found across Europe andis prized for its culinary value. Two varieties are distinguished within this species: burgundy truffles, harvested in autumn until December, and summer truffles, harvested in summer, whose flesh is of paler color and whose aroma is less pronounced. [edit] Other species

Two lesser-used truffles include the "black truffle" (Tuber macrosporum) and the "Scorzone truffle" (Tuber Aestivum).

In the US Pacific Northwest, several species of truffle are harvested both recreationally and commercially, most notably, the "Oregon white truffles", Tuber oregonense and Tuber gibbosum.

The "pecan truffle" (Tuber lyonii[15] syn. texense[16]) is found in the Southern United States, usually associated with pecan trees. Chefs who have experimented with them agree that "theyare very good and have potential as a food commodity".[17] Although pecan farmers used to find them along with pecans and discard them, considering them a nuisance, they sell for about $100 a pound and have been used in gourmet restaurants such as Elizabeth on 37th in Savannah.[18] [edit] Truffle-like species

The term "truffle" has been applied to several other genera of similar underground fungi. The genera Terfezia and Tirmania of the family Terfeziaceae are known as the "desert truffles" of Africa and the Middle East. "Hart's truffle" is a name for Elaphomycetaceae while Pisolithus tinctorius, which was historically eaten in parts of Germany, is sometimes called "Bohemian truffle".[19] [edit] History [edit] Antiquity

The first mention of truffles appears in the inscriptions of the neo-Sumerians regarding their Amorite enemy's eating habits (Third Dynasty of Ur, 20th century[20]) and later in writings of Theophrastus in the fourth century BC. In classical times, their origins were a mystery that challenged many; Plutarch and others thought them to be the result of lightning, warmth and water in the soil, while Juvenal thought thunder and rain to be instrumental in their origin. Cicero deemed them children of the earth, while Dioscorides thought they were tuberous roots.[19]

Italy in the Classical period produced three kinds of truffles: the Tuber melanosporum, the Tuber magnificanus and the Tuber magnatum. The Romans, however, only used the terfez (Terfezia bouderi), a fungus of similar appearance, which the Romans called truffles, and which is sometimes called "desert truffle". Terfez used in Rome came from Lesbos, Carthage, and especially Libya, where the coastal climate was less dry in ancient times.[19] Their substance is pale, tinged with rose. Unlike truffles, terfez have no taste of their own. The Romans used the terfez as a carrier of flavour, because the terfez have the property to absorb surrounding flavours. Indeed, Ancient Roman cuisine used many spices and flavours, and terfez were perfect in that context. [edit] Islam

It is narrated in the hadith Sahih Muslim that the Islamic prophet Muhammad said "Truffles are 'manna' which Allah, sent to the people of Israel through Moses, and its juice is a medicine for the eyes."[21] This provides evidence of Truffles being considered a medicinal mushroom in some parts of the Middle East. Terfezia was the main truffle consumed in the Middle East historically, and Ludovico di Varthema, in his Travels (1503 08), wrote of great quantities of them being sold, having been harvested in the mountains of Armenia and Turkey. [edit] Middle Ages

Truffles were rarely used during the Middle Ages. Truffle hunting is mentioned by Bartolomeo Platina, the papal historian, in 1481, when he recorded that the sows of Notza were without equal in hunting truffles, however they should be muzzled to prevent them from eating the prize.[22] [edit] Renaissance and modern times

During the Renaissance, truffles regained popularity in Europe and were honoured at the court of King Francis I of France. However, it was not until the 17th century that Western (and in particular French) cuisine abandoned "heavy" oriental spices, and rediscovered the natural flavour of foodstuffs. Truffles were very popular in Parisian markets in the 1780s. They were imported seasonally from truffle grounds, where peasants had long enjoyed their secret. Brillat-Savarin (1825) noted characteristically that they were so expensive they appeared only at the dinner tables of great nobles and kept women. A great delicacy was a truffled turkey. [edit] Cultivation

Truffles long eluded techniques of domestication, as Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1825) noted with his characteristic skepticism: Mushroom and truffle output in 2005

"The most learned men have sought to ascertain the secret, and fancied they discovered the seed. Their promises, however, were vain, and no planting was ever followed by a harvest. This perhaps is all right, for as one of the great values of truffles is their dearness, perhaps they would be less highly esteemed if they were cheaper."

However, truffles can be cultivated. As early as 1808, there were successful attempts to cultivate truffles, known in French as trufficulture. People had long observed that truffles were growing among the roots of certain trees, and in 1808, Joseph Talon, from Apt (dpartement of Vaucluse) in southern France, had the idea to sow some acorns collected at the foot of oak trees known to host truffles in their root system. Truffle market in Carpentras

The experiment was successful: years later, truffles were found in the soil around the newly grown oak trees. In 1847, Auguste Rousseau of Carpentras (in Vaucluse) planted 7 hectares (17 acres) of oak trees (again from acorns found on the soil around truffle-producing oak trees), and he subsequently obtained large harvests of truffles. He received a prize at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris.

These successful attempts were met with enthusiasm in southern France, which possessed the sweet limestone soils and dry hot weather that truffles need to grow. In the late 19th century, an epidemic of phylloxera destroyed many of the vineyards in southern France. Another epidemic destroyed most of the silkworms in there, too, making the fields of mulberry trees useless. Thus, large tracts of land were set free for the cultivation of truffles. Thousands of truffle-producing trees were planted, and production reached peaks of hundreds of tonnes at the end of the 19th century. In 1890 there were 750 square kilometres (190,000 acres) of truffle-producing trees.

In the 20th century however, with the growing industrialization of France and the subsequent rural exodus, many of these truffle fields (champs truffiers or truffires) returned to wilderness. The First World War also dealt a serious blow to the French countryside, killing 20% or more of the male working force. As a consequence of these events, newly acquired techniques of trufficulture were lost. Also, between the two world wars, the truffle fields planted in the 19th century stopped being productive. (The average life cycle of a truffle-producing tree is 30 years.) Consequently, after 1945 the production of truffles plummeted, and the prices have risen dramatically. In 1900, truffles were used by most people, and on many occasions. Today, they are a rare delicacy reserved for the rich, or used on very special occasions.

In the last 30 years, new attempts for mass production of truffles have been started. Eighty percent of the truffles now produced in France come from specially planted truffle-fields. Nonetheless, production has yet to recover its 1900s peaks. Local farmers are opposed to a return of mass

production, which would decrease the price of truffles. There are now truffle-growing areas in the United States, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and the UK. [edit] In New Zealand and Australia

The first black truffles (Tuber melanosporum) to be produced in the southern hemisphere were harvested in Gisborne, New Zealand in 1993.[citation needed]

In 1999, the first Australian truffles were harvested in Tasmania,[citation needed] the result of eight years of work. Trees were inoculated with the truffle fungus in the hope of creating a local truffle industry. Their success and the value of the resulting truffles has encouraged a small industry to develop. A Western Australian venture, The Wine and Truffle Co, had its first harvest in 2004, and in 2005 they unearthed a 1 kg truffle. In 2008, an estimated 600 kilograms (1,300 lb) of truffles were removed from the rich ground of Manjimup. Each year The Wine and Truffle Co. has expanded their production, moving into the colder regions of Victoria and New South Wales.

In June 2010, Tasmanian growers Michael and Gwynneth Williams harvested Australia's largest truffle from their property at Myrtle Bank, near Launceston. It weighed in at 1.084 kilograms (2 lb 6.2 oz).[23] Ms Williams told ABC Radio in Australia[24] that it is valued at approximately AUS$1,500 per kilo. [edit] Extraction

Looking for truffles in open ground is almost always carried out with specially trained pigs (truffle hogs) or, more recently, dogs. The Lagotto Romagnolo is currently the only breed recognized for sniffing out truffles (although virtually any breed could be trained for this use).[25] Truffle Hog Truffle Dog Keen sense of smell Must be trained Easier to control

Keen sense of smell

Innate ability to sniff out truffles Tendency to eat truffles once found

The female pig's natural truffle seeking, as well as her usual intent to eat the truffle, is due to a compound within the truffle similar to androstenol, the sex pheromone of boar saliva, to which the sow is keenly attracted. [edit] Culinary use

Truffle oil (olive oil with Tuber melanosporum).

Because of their high price and their pungent taste, truffles are used sparingly. Supplies can be found commercially as unadulterated fresh produce or preserved, typically in a light brine.

White truffles are generally served raw, and shaved over steaming buttered pasta or salads. White or black paper-thin truffle slices may be inserted into meats, under the skins of roasted fowl, in foie gras preparations, in pts, or in stuffings. Some speciality cheeses contain truffles as well.

The flavour of black truffles is far less pungent and more refined than that of white truffles. It is reminiscent of fresh earth and mushrooms, and when fresh, their scent fills a room almost instantly.

While in the past chefs used to peel truffles, in modern times most restaurants brush the truffle carefully and shave it or dice it with the skin on so as to use most of this expensive ingredient. A few restaurants, such as Philippe Rochat in Switzerland, still stamp out circular discs of truffle flesh and use the skins for sauces. [edit] Truffle oil Main article: Truffle oil

Truffle oil is often used as a lower cost and convenient substitute for truffles, to provide flavouring or to enhance the flavour and aroma of truffles in cooking. Most "truffle oil," however, does not contain any truffles.[26] The vast majority is olive oil which has been artificially flavoured using a synthetic agent such as 2,4-dithiapentane.[26] Daniel Patterson reported in the New York Times that "even now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles." Many chefs continue to use inexpensive synthetic truffle oil, considering it to be "a reasonable substitute."[citation needed] [edit] Truffle vodka Main article: Truffle vodka

The bulk of truffle oil on the market is made with a synthetic ingredient (see above) as are many other truffle products. However, alcohol is now being used to carry the truffle flavour without the need for synthetic flavourings. The first truffle vodka, Black Moth Vodka, is a natural vodka infused with black Prigord truffles (Tuber melanosporum). Although primarily used as a spirit in its own right and mixed in a range of cocktails, truffle vodka is also used by various chefs to flavour dishes by evaporating the alcohol through cooking whilst retaining the truffle aroma.[27]