Word: tubers
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...China is the world's biggest exporter of fake goods, from pirated DVDs to knockoff Birkin bags. Now add truffles to the list. To the naked eye, the Chinese black truffle, or Tuber indicum, looks virtually indistinguishable from its much-vaunted cousin, Tuber melanosporum, or the P?rigord truffle, a gastronomic delicacy that perks up winter menus with its earthy pungency. One taste, though, clears up any confusion: the Chinese variety is insipid compared with the French one. Yet over the past few years, unscrupulous dealers in Europe and the U.S. have begun passing off the Chinese truffles as P?rigord...
...There's more to worry the French. "We saw in experiments that Tuber indicum is very dominant, competitive and aggressive," frets Gerard Chevalier, a researcher at INRA. He paints a scenario in which errant spores from imported Chinese truffles disperse into the air, contaminate the French countryside and do ecological battle with their more fragile cousin. Already, the ancient truffle terroir is being hammered by pesticides and urbanization. Two centuries ago, French black truffles were so abundant that they were cheaper than tomatoes; yet since then, the average annual harvest in the P?rigord region and beyond has declined from some...
...carb potato has arrived. Developed by a Dutch seed company, the smooth yellow tuber has 30% fewer carbohydrates and 25% fewer calories than the average Russet Burbank. It's also moister and better tasting, says Chad Hutchinson, a potato expert and assistant professor of horticultural science at the University of Florida. Each year Hutchinson tests some 400 new varieties of spud for Florida farmers but finds, he says, "only a few we get really excited about." This creamy variety, named SunLite, "has risen to the top," says Hutchinson. SunFresh, a Florida growers cooperative, will market the lower-carb potato...
...that spuds are so bad; it's that they're misunderstood--not to mention deep-fried and drowned in sour cream and cheese. America's much beloved tuber definitely has a dual personality. A good source of potassium (particularly if you eat the skin) and a great thickener for soups, the potato still doesn't have all the benefits bestowed by more colorful produce like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green beans...
...QUIET AMONG RUTABAGAS Recently, Rhode Island named Mr. Potato Head its official travel ambassador and began planting six-foot statues of him across the state. But that's not the only breaking tuber story...