Truffle-addicted Kuwaitis flock to souk

KUWAIT CITY - White or beige, but never black, the "desert truffle" is a rare delicacy with a dedicated marketplace in Kuwait, where remnants of the Iraqi invasion and changing weather patterns have decimated local production.

Less prestigious and less expensive than its darker cousin, the Middle Eastern truffle is a prized ingredient for Bedouins, who integrate it into their traditional rice and meat dishes or in sauces, boiled with onions.

On the outskirts of Kuwait City, in the al-Rai industrial district, connoisseurs begin perusing the truffle souk at 9:00 am, surveying the various weights and colors and using their noses to select the best fungus by smell.

Some barter while others go straight for the top shelf, with the "Zebidi" variety especially prized for its use in traditional recipes.

Demand is so high in the market that each year hundreds of merchants compete for limited stall space during the cooler winter months.

The market was devised by the municipality of al-Rai, which oversees quality control and guarantees the traceability of the fungus.

"We decided to build this market in 2006 to organize sales of this product, which you used to find in all sorts of corners in Kuwait," said Faisal al-Jomaa, vice-governor of Kuwait City.

But for all its love of truffles, Kuwait's own commercial cultivation and harvesting of the fungus has plummeted to zero since Iraq invaded the emirate in 1990. The risk of coming across an unexploded landmine left behind by the Iraqi army keeps Kuwaitis from scouting the desert for wild truffles.

Kuwait's truffle crops have also been hit by a changing environment.

Unlike European truffles, which grow under tree roots, desert truffles spring up after rain, which means that volume and quality vary according to the amount of precipitation and the general weather.

That has only increased desire for the delicacy.

"Kuwaitis are addicted to truffles because they are rare and have such a distinct taste," said Yousef Mohammed al-Khaled, a truffle aficionado who said he spends $10,000 each year on white truffles.

Fresh truffles are only available from November to April in Kuwait, but some vendors sell a dried variation of the delicacy during the region's scorching summer months in a bid to meet their customers' cravings all year round.

Agence France-presse