France: The Truffle Underground - The History of Fresh Produce

Why did France's black truffle — once produced in the thousands of tonnes — collapse to near-extinction in a century, and what does its revival reveal about the country's relationship with luxury, landscape, and desire? Who are the truffle thieves stalking the oak groves of the Périgord with poisoned meatballs and stolen dogs? And why does a near-identical Chinese impostor, worth one-seventieth of the price, now threaten the French truffle industry from beneath the soil itself?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of the black diamond of the kitchen — the fraud, the cash markets, the criminal underworld, and the invisible biological invasion growing silently beneath the oaks of southern France...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]