DEC.JAN 2014
V
wholesalers today are faced with a
series of more stringent rules that
force them to a burden of tasks. We
can just think about the many aspects
of the pollution and congestion of
the historic centers of our cities and
towns, places where often catering
activities focus: between restricted
traffic areas, entrance ticket, number
plate, traffic jams, food retailers are
continuous obstacles in their daily
work. In particular, the anti-pollution
rules stricter (next is the introduction
of vehicles with emissions standards
Euro 6) compel suppliers to a
continuous adaptation of the fleet.”
We rely on a fleet of property - says
Sbrugnera - because we believe that
drivers should evolve their role from
simple conveyors emissary outside
the company to customers. That’s a
role, which has become more delicate
as well. “Between ownership and
outsourcing (see box) the management
of vehicles is certainly one of the most
significant cost items for wholesalers.
TechnoLogy
is able to help to
reduce operating costs, improve the
efficiency of its activities and give an
extra service to the customer? There
are growing fleet control systems, geo-
referencing (see box) to streamline
loading and “steps” of a more direct
relationship between customers and
suppliers. Already assimilated the
compilation and collection of orders
by agents with information systems,
today the radio frequency warehouse
management and implementation of
the entire cloud computing with the
proliferation of digital devices allow
management of orders and deliveries
in a very smaller and more precise
feedback in case of problems and
last minute requests. And it is on the
ground of hi tech which will be played
the next evolution of the supply chain.
At pAge 18
Truffle, royal raw
material
Bumpy, lumpy and seemingly
unattractive to the eye, the
truffle is oneof themost valuable
products that Italy can boast.
And his scent is unforgettable.
There are several types of truffles that
grow wild in almost all over the world
(including Asia and even North Africa
), but Italy is perhaps the only area in
which there are the four best species
of edible truffles blacks and whites :
Magnatum tuber , t . Melanosporum , t
. Aestivum , t . Borchii .
Always loved for its culinary qualities
(and perhaps also for the alleged
aphrodisiac properties ) , has
historically been the food of kings
and emperors and raw material par
excellence of haute cuisine. Of his
vocation to attend canteens richest
prevail also the name by which , at
the end of 700 the white truffle of
Alba was ranked by the Piedmontese
Vittorio Pico tuber Magnatum from
magnatium , so of the powerful.
The season of ripening of fresh
truffles is quite long: the comedians
in the spring with “white out” ( vol.
borchii ) to switch to “scorzone” in the
summer (t. aestivum), then autumn
is the white truffle (t . Magnatum),
and finally the black truffle (t.
melanosporum) in winter .
White, the best among the truffles
Out of all the different types of
truffles the most valuable of all is the
white one (in November the bag of
truffles from Piedmont the quota to
280 € / hg , source: National Center
studies truffle ,
) , and
among the most renowned at the
international level are those by Alba
and Acqualagna .
According to the regional regulations
can be searched only in a well-defined
period: in Piedmont , for example,
the collection is permitted from
September 15 to January 31. It is a
detail that you should know: if you
were to offer for a fresh white truffle
beyond this deadline you might think
that it is not Italian or product has
been gouged illegal or even make
you doubt whether it is produced and
stored passed off as fresh (eg . frozen
, in which case it would be soft and
squishy to the touch).
Its shape and color can be very
different, in relation to the different
type of soil in which it is formed.
There are rare forms such as sticks or
crushed, especially if the truffle grows
sandwiched between two stones.
The coloring varies, depending on the
plant, which lives and grows.
The more aromatic and clear, for
example, is to lime while that from the
perfume more persistent and better
shelf life is that of oak. The various
types of black truffles have a shape
similar to white lumpy, but they are
characterized by a darker color, both
externally and internally. In addition,
the black truffle has an outer surface
warty, unlike the white (smooth).
conservaTion
Given the high selling prices, to
best preserve fresh truffles is very
important, especially in order to not
throw away the typical aromas, highly
volatile. The best solution is to keep
them at a temperature between 0 and
2 ° C, one by one wrapped in a paper
towel (to be replaced as soon as you
find that it has become wet, even
several times a day).
Pietro Borroni, commercial director
of the group Urbani Tartufi, says :
“Who is advisable to store them in
rice or dip, crushed into a fat (butter
for white truffles , extra virgin olive
oil for those blacks), we say strongly
to avoid it because these techniques
accelerate the decomposition of the
spores of the truffle, that you will find
them unusable in one or two days,
while the technique of paper can last
up to a week, always kept in the cold.
The truffles should be washed: you
have to remove all traces of the earth,
but gently, exclusively using cold or
lukewarm water with a toothbrush or
something similar, but soft bristle.” An
operation can be given that the peridio
(the outer part , also called rind ) is
waterproof, serves as a protective
barrier and contains no scents that are
instead relegated in glebe ( the pulpy
part internal).
Uses
The white truffle and black are used
in different ways. “The white one is
not to be cooked, - says Borroni - but
washed as described above and cut
into thin slices with slicer classic
over the foods that you want to add
flavor. It has been shown that the
white truffle aromas and whitebait
deteriorate at 58 ° C , which suggests
the importance of using them raw,
even though it is important to mix
them quickly because the heat of the
food on which they are affected will
exalt a great deal of flavor.
Never let them dry only on the
surface.”
In general, you should use it on dishes
with few ingredients, in order to let
the truffles to be the protagonist.
Be careful to the use of herbs,
especially if spicy or acidic, because
they may adversely affect the flavor of
the truffle.
