This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
It is sometimes said that patience is the mother of all virtues. This is particularly true for young truffle producers in Quebec, who, faced with unprecedented enthusiasm for their products, will have to wait several more years before reaping the fruits of their labor.
Never in the province have we talked so much about this mysterious mushroom as in recent years.
At Truffes Québec, a company that advises and guides aspiring truffle growers in their start-up, it is estimated that there are between 30 and 40 truffle fields with thousands of trees already established in Quebec. Fifteen will be added this year, and the same number next year.
The company is overflowing with projects for the next two years and the agenda of its president, Maude Lemire-Comeau, is already beginning to fill up for 2024 and even 2025. However, the first truffles can only be harvested and consumed in seven to ten years, the time that trees and mushrooms reach maturity.
“As it’s a culture that requires patience, people say to themselves: it’s time or never to get on board! says the one who was the first to launch her own farm, Les rabassaires, on family land in Saint-Léonard-d’Aston, in Centre-du-Québec, in 2020.
According to her, there are several reasons why so many people (farmers, landowners or gentleman farmer) are willing to invest thousands of dollars in this industry that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
“First there is a curiosity, because many people did not know that truffle cultivation is possible here. At the moment, innovative projects that promote the terroir have the wind in their sails, and Quebecers are increasingly foodies and are more interested in food, its quality and where it comes from. Consuming a truffle that comes from a local producer that you can meet in person, instead of a truffle that has traveled thousands of kilometers by plane, is very interesting. »
Increased demand
Without advertising, Truffes Québec already has a list of 600 to 800 buyers of fresh truffles or derived products.
“It’s a great problem,” admits Maude Lemire-Comeau, who sees her email inbox fill up every time the media mentions Quebec truffles.
“I would be surprised if we had problems selling our products once production has reached maturity,” she adds. But I don’t want to wait in five, six or seven years to create our network. We have already started to do so, so that when our products are available, we know how to exploit them to their full potential and showcase them. »
For the moment, there is only the experimental truffle field of Jérôme Quirion, biologist and true pioneer of the Quebec truffle for a decade, which provides specimens.
However, the vast majority of truffles are used to inoculate the roots of truffle trees, mainly nut trees, sold to producers by his company Arborinnov, in collaboration with Truffes Québec.
“It takes one to three grams to inoculate a tree, and it must spend two years in the greenhouse before being planted, notes Maude Lemire-Comeau. A truffle of 30 grams can be used for about thirty trees. It therefore has significant value. »
For now, only a few lucky ones, like chefs Stéphane Modat, Arnaud Marchand and Normand Laprise, have been able to taste Quebec truffles.
But once production becomes more constant, will the Quebec truffle remain a luxury product reserved for a handful of insiders?
“It is certainly a niche product, but fortunately, we do not need to consume it in large quantities to have its intoxicating effect, pleads the president of Truffes Québec, who wishes to “democratize” it through derivative products. , such as cheeses, salts and oils.
“A truffle cheese, for example, will be more accessible than a real fresh truffle, in terms of seasonality, tastes and price. By-products will allow us to put it on more plates. »