Name: 松露是什麼，為什麼這麼貴？- 卡羅琳豆 (What are truffles, and why are they so expensive? - Carolyn Beans)
Uploaded: 2025-10-25T06:36:50.000Z
Duration: 6 min 29 s

In autumn 2007, a Tuscan father and son unearthed one of the largest white truffles ever found.

在2007年秋天，一對來自托斯卡尼的父子挖出了一顆有史以來最大的白松露之一。

It later sold at auction for a record breaking $330,000, more than six times the price of its weight in gold at the time.

這顆松露後來以創紀錄的33萬美元拍賣成交，價格是當時同等重量黃金的六倍多。

Truffles are one of the world's most expensive foods, in part because global demand often outstrips supply.

松露是世界上最昂貴的食物之一，部分原因是全球需求經常超過供應量。

而且我們為什麼不大量種植牠們呢？

The answers lie in the truffles unique and somewhat mysterious biology.

答案就在於松露獨特且有些神祕的生物學。

Truffles refer to nearly 200 species of fungi, of which around 30 are used in commercial trade.

松露指的是近200種真菌，其中約有30種用於商業貿易。

The most sought after truffles are native to Europe, confined to regions with lime rich dry soil and light summer rains.

最受歡迎的松露原產於歐洲，僅限於石灰質乾燥土壤和夏季輕微降雨的地區。

Each species grows under the canopy of specific trees, where they form tight symbiotic relationships.

每種松露都生長在特定樹木的樹冠下，在那裡形成緊密的共生關係。

A truffle's mycelium, the vegetative root like structure of the fungus, wraps itself around the tree roots and swaps water and nutrients for sugars.

松露的菌絲，也就是真菌像根一樣的營養結構，會纏繞在樹根上，並用水分和養分交換糖分。

While truffles themselves aren't mushrooms, the parts of truffles we covet are like mushrooms, the fruiting body of the fungus.

雖然松露本身不是菇類，但我們追求的松露部分就像菇類一樣，是真菌的子實體。

But while mushrooms grow above ground, allowing their spores to be dispersed by both wind and foraging animals, truffles grow entirely below the soil.

但菇類長在地上，讓孢子能藉由風和覓食的動物散播，松露卻完全長在地底下。

So they release a powerful aroma to lure hungry forest animals to come to do their spreading.

所以牠們會散發強烈的香氣，來吸引飢餓的森林動物來幫牠們傳播。

If these animals happen to drop these spores near the roots of a particular type of tree, only then might the truffle develop several years later.

如果這些動物不小心把孢子掉在特定樹木的樹根附近，松露才可能在幾年後發展出來。

This pungent aroma is also what's made truffles alluring to humans.

這種濃烈的香氣也是讓松露對人類如此吸引人的原因。

In fact, much of what we perceive as truffle flavor comes from its unique scent.

事實上，我們感知到的松露風味，很大一部分來自於它獨特的氣味。

A single species typically emits 30 to 60 different volatile compounds, which are produced by both the truffle and the bacteria and yeast that colonize them.

單一種松露通常會散發出30到60種不同的揮發性化合物，這些是由松露本身以及寄生在牠們身上的細菌和酵母菌產生的。

But despite their scent, finding these subterranean gems within a dense forest is far from easy.

但是，儘管有這些氣味，要在茂密的森林裡找到這些地底下的寶藏可一點都不容易。

As early as the 1400s, Europeans used pigs as truffle finding companions.

早在1400年代，歐洲人就開始利用豬來尋找松露。

Truffles emit dimethyl sulfide, a compound that reeks of cabbage, which helps draw the pigs in.

松露會散發出二甲基硫醚，一種聞起來像捲心菜的化合物，這有助於吸引豬前來。

But when a pig finds a truffle, they're apt to take a bite out of the profit.

不過，豬找到松露時，牠們可是會把利潤給啃掉的。

So many truffle hunters began replacing pigs with dogs, who, while not natural born truffle hunters, are more easily trained.

所以許多松露獵人開始用狗取代豬，雖然狗天生不是松露獵人，但牠們比較好訓練。

Meanwhile, others learn to track their prize by following species of flies that are known to lay their eggs near truffles.

同時，有些人則學會追蹤牠們的獵物，方法是跟蹤那些已知會在松露附近產卵的蒼蠅種類。

Nevertheless, today the global market still demands more truffles than any pig, dog or fly can sniff out.

不過，即使到了今天，全球市場對松露的需求量，仍然是任何豬、狗或蒼蠅都無法嗅聞出來的。

And truffles continue to grow even rarer and more expensive as deforestation and climate change shrink their suitable terrain.

而且隨著森林砍伐和氣候變遷縮小牠們的適合棲地，松露變得越來越稀有，價格也越來越貴。

那麼，為什麼我們不乾脆種植牠們呢？

在某種程度上，我們有在種植。

In 1808, a French farmer became the first to cultivate truffles when he planted acorns under truffle bearing oaks and then transplanted the seedlings with, unknowingly at the time, some fungi companions.

1808年，一位法國農夫種植了長有松露的橡樹下的橡子，然後移植了這些樹苗，當時他並不知道，樹苗裡還帶著一些真菌夥伴，這讓他成為第一個種植松露的人。

By the early 1970s, scientists cracked how to artificially inoculate tree seedlings, which allowed growers to sow certain species of truffles in orchards far outside their native range.

到了1970年代初期，科學家們終於破解了如何人工接種樹苗，這讓種植者能夠在遠離原生地的果園裡種植特定種類的松露。

However, truffles are still not considered a domesticated crop.

然而，松露至今仍未被視為一種馴化的農作物。

There are just too many unknowns, as researchers are still working out the precise temperature, precipitation, elevation, soil ph, and

有太多未知數了，因為研究人員還在找出決定松露園成功與否的精確溫度、降雨量、海拔、土壤 pH 值，

other environmental factors that determine a truffle orchard's success.

Part of the problem is that truffles need to mate to form that valuable fruiting body.

部分問題在於，松露需要「交配」才能形成那珍貴的子實體。

Yet truffles sex is still largely a mystery.

然而，松露的性別至今仍是個謎。

Researchers know that these fungi are hermaphrodites that cannot reproduce alone.

研究人員知道這些真菌是雌雄同體的，無法自行繁殖。

So when a truffle reproduces, one fungus takes on the maternal role and the other the paternal role, each contributing half of the genes that will form the spores.

所以當松露繁殖時，一個真菌扮演母親的角色，另一個扮演父親的角色，各自貢獻一半將形成孢子的基因。

However, when researchers search the area near a truffle fruiting body, they only ever find maternal mycelium.

然而，當研究人員搜尋松露子實體附近的區域時，他們只會發現母系的菌絲。

Where the paternal partner lives or hides remains unknown.

父親伴侶的棲息地或藏身之處仍然未知。

So each time a hopeful truffle enthusiast builds, when it begins a new farm, there's no guarantee truffles will grow, and

所以每次有抱負的松露愛好者建立新的農場時，都無法保證松露會長出來，

they'll have to wait four years or more to find out.

而且他們得等上四年或更久才能知道結果。

But many take the gamble, as growers know that if they're patient and lucky, they might just dig up gold.

但許多人還是會冒險一試，因為種植者知道，只要有耐心和運氣，他們就有可能挖到黃金。

Watch these videos to either challenge what you think think you know or learn more about what you don't.

觀看這些影片，挑戰你既有的認知，或是深入瞭解你不知道的事物。