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China’s truffle exports hit record high, 30 years after being used as pig feed, as appetite soars
- Sichuan province is reported to have sold the first black truffles to France, Italy and Germany in 1994
- Last year, China exported a record high 32.5 tonnes of frozen and fresh truffles, representing a 58.6 per cent increase from a year earlier
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Kinling Loin Beijing
After 30 years, Chinese truffles have come a long way from being used as pig feed to a highly sought-after and prized delicacy.
Last year, China exported a record high 32.5 tonnes of frozen and fresh truffles, representing a 58.6 per cent increase from a year earlier, customs figures showed.
China’s luxurious edible fungi most recently made surprise headlines during a visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July, when she was reported to have eaten a meal containing jian shou qing – a species of mushroom that has the potential to have hallucinogenic properties – in a Yunnan restaurant.
The southwestern province of Yunnan is where most Chinese truffles are sourced.
02:16
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unknowingly ate hallucinogenic mushrooms in China
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen unknowingly ate hallucinogenic mushrooms in China
Yellen’s specific recollection of “a delicious mushroom dish”, according to CNN, sparked media attention in China and the US, which was labelled “mushroom diplomacy” at a time when relations between Beijing and Washington had been deteriorating.
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