Hi all, I was thinking for bring truffles back from by trip is there any rules about bring them back to the USA? What about cheese or meat? Is there anyway to pack the truffle to ensure they stay fresh? Should I buy Whole Truffles, Truffle oil, or Truffle butter? Or some other kind of Truffle product? What is the rule on Coffee? Any help is appreciated.
Good question! As far as I know anything that is commercially pre-packaged is OK to bring back with you. In other words a sealed bottle of truffle oil is no problem. A fresh black truffle from an Umbrian roadside stand is another story. That said, certain people I know (cough cough) have brought back fresh black truffles in their packed luggage wrapped in a few plastic bags and surrounded by dirty clothes. As a matter of fact those folks just had black truffle pasta this past weekend.
Food Products (Prepared) You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the United States. The APHIS web site features a Travelers Tips section and Game and Hunting Trophies section that offers extensive information about bringing food and other products into the country. Many prepared foods are admissible. However, almost anything containing meat products, such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible. As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged spices, honey, coffee and tea are admissible. Because rice can often harbor insects, it is best to avoid bringing it into the United States.
Posts: 13414 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Truffles ARE allowed. Are they worth it? No. They begin losing their value the second they come out of the ground, so if you're coming back in a day or two, perhaps it might be worth something to bring them home. But more than that, it's dowbtful you will be returning with the magic you expect. That's what I've been told, anyway, and it makes sense. I've seen how much power they lost in just a day! Plus, you have to really, really care for them well (wet,paper towels in the jar, changed regularly).
Enjoy the trip. Enjoy them on site. Enjoy the memories. Thnk twice about bring them back, even though it is legal.
Oh, no meat. Vacuum-packed cheese is OK.
Posts: 482 | Location: Logan, Utah, USA | Registered: 02 June 2006
I have been told by Ag Agents that soft cheeses are not allowed in, and one told me a couple of years ago that cow milk cheese (hard or soft) might be confiscated (because of fears of Mad Cow disease). I never tested that latter because we only bring back pecorino. I've brought truffle oil back (declared) without any problem, and always at least 5 liters of our good Sabina olive oil, also without problem.
I would hate to pack fresh truffles in wet paper towels and keep throwing the essence away when packing them in rice (uncooked) both keeps the truffles well and gives you rice of the most wonderful fragrance! You might be able to get it sealed before you leave... Or maybe there is some other delicate dried item that would work if rice is worrisome.
That said, even a couple of jars of unopened Nutella, purchased at the FCO duty-free shop and available at all our supermarkets, were confiscated from me last time I came home.
The other thing is to be sure you don't get "summer truffles" (tuber aestivum) which are a lot cheaper but have minimal flavor.
That said, even a couple of jars of unopened Nutella, purchased at the FCO duty-free shop and available at all our supermarkets, were confiscated from me last time I came home.
Were they confiscated from a carryon by security at your departure airport or by customs & agriculture at your arrival? Security confiscates lots of things that are legal to import (or even if you're not crossing national boundaries) because they sometimes have a pretty broad definition of what constitutes a liquid or gel. Peanut butter, jams, etc.
Posts: 648 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 28 June 2006
From a carryon at the departure airport, even though I had the sales slip from their own shop - so, I guess it was security. Can't be too careful when it comes to Nutella!
The other thing is to be sure you don't get "summer truffles" (tuber aestivum) which are a lot cheaper but have minimal flavor.
Indeed traveling with fresh truffles makes it hardly worth beacuse the truffles might get mouldy very fast and became tasteless.
I know that purists will disagree with me, but the best second option in my opinion is to buy minced or sliced truffle in olive oil. Pure, no butter, no truffle oil.
It is a little more expensive but it is the closest to the real thing and even if it is summer truffle it has enough taste to be used for a long time. Just remember to top it up with olive oil and put it immediately back in the fridge after using.
Besides, fresh black truffle is only available for a limited period in the winter. The pasteurised whole truffles are plain, whatever the species, I would not recomend those.
Because rice can often harbor insects, it is best to avoid bringing it into the United States.
You gotta love this kind of thing.
For those of you who complain that figuring out the rules here in Italy is difficult and subject to interpretation, here we have an example of how we Americans have not exactly written the book in that regard either.
Now, either you can bring rice or you can't, right? Best to avoid? Is that a definite no? Does this mean that if I bring Oscar my pet truffle vacuum packed in the dreaded danger-to-society Riso Canarolo di Novara that they may possibly decide that they want to keep my stash? Or then again maybe not? This is highly annoying.
Call me a renegade, a small minded petty criminal, but getting past Tiny the apple sniffing beagle at JFK with pinoli nuts in my back pack makes my arrival so much, well, more pleasurable.
Call him a renegade, but my husband brought my parents a fabulously, large white truffle in a jar filled with arborio rice and in his suitcase. No one kicked him out of the country and no one stole the stash. We enjoyed a wonderful plate of white truffle pasta, thanks to his daring moves!
Call me a renegade, a small minded petty criminal, but getting past Tiny the apple sniffing beagle at JFK with pinoli nuts in my back pack makes my arrival so much, well, more pleasurable.
Di, you rebel you! I knew there was a good reason I liked you so much!
In '05 my friend brought back a big salami, she bought with her last euros at Volpetti on the way to FCO. I kept thinking the dogs would notice it but they passed us right by at customs (JFK).
truffles a must! first truffle honey ( perfect on pecarino cheesse with lomeon zest) and truffle oil and truffle salt( new) then cheese vacumn packed by Baroni at the market, not sure about meat
Posts: 42 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 18 February 2004
Wow I need to learn something about truffles. Can someone please explain the different varies. How will I know if it's a "summer truffle","white Truffle," or a "Black Truffle"? It seems if I buy them right before I leave and pack them in rice they should hold good. But Maybe I want something like the slice truffle in olive oil to ensure they don't mold?
Count me among the truffle scofflaws who have sneaked a truffle back. Believe me, we ate that lovely thing so fast it posed ablsolutely no danger to U.S. agriculture, which is the reason for the prohibition. I brought it back in my pocket and I was wreathed in its aroma. Apparently the USDA Beagle is not a truffle dog, because he trotted right past me (I, nearly fainting with fear because I am not accustomed to flagrantly breaking laws.) Not so the banana that I forgot I had in my carryon another trip--that time the beagle came straight for me and signaled my guilt to the guard.
Posts: 234 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 24 April 2003
My darling mother in law was about 72 when this happened. She and my father in law landed in Newark from Germany with the normal contraband: 36 sausages, made fresh that morning at her butcher and vacuum packed, and slipped in between her pj's and tee shirts, flat packed (this was standard operating procedure every year when they came to visit us from Mainz). For the first time in 13 years, she got stopped in Customs. The very young customs guy asked her if she had any meat. She shook her head no as if to say, I don't understand... meat? What is meat? He popped her suitcase open and felt his way with his fingertips in between the pj's and the tee shirts. His eyes got very big as they met hers. He very carefully extracted his hands and closed the suitcase and let her go.
I don't know what he thought about what my sweet little mother in law was actually bringing into the country, but it became a don't ask, don't tell moment --- and she just kept smiling and scooted out.
Thanks, all - for reminding me of the time many years ago when my nonna returned from a visit to her Italian family with SEVERAL wonderful salami. When asked how she had gotten them through customs, she smiled innocently and said - simple! She was a 5' tall, almost as wide woman who wore the then "required" boned corsets - and who would think to unroll a white haired, smiling Italian nonna's personal undergarments to see if she was hiding contraband salumi?
Judy
Posts: 1578 | Location: Berkeley, CA | Registered: 22 March 2005
my heart rate never fails to increase and my palms get a bit sweaty as i approach the US customs area... even when i don't have any food item that could be described as "illegal". it stems from my rookie days getting through customs and observing items being removed from travelers bags which i thought were legal.
its been my experience that it isn't really about any "rules"... its about the individual customs agent and what kind of mood they are in that particular day. i had one guy who took my bag of farro from my carry-on, laid it aside, and started to zip up my bag. i said, "you've got to be kidding... i want a second opinion!" the lady agent beside him took a look, shook her head, and he handed the farro back to me.
another time, an agent looked very longingly at a tin of italian sardines i was bringing back for my hubbie! a never-opened tin of sardines! i suspect he was thinking "SNACK TIME!".
I'm posting a link to a similar thread from 2006. "Cheese? Meat? Air travel ..." Here are some relevant comments I think are important for us all to think about ...
quote:
Remember, the devastating outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK was caused by one person smuggling improperly cured meat from the far east. Insect eggs hidden in soil or on fruit can cause heavy economic losses for farmers and have all of us in the US paying more for our morning glass of OJ. So bring home the cheese but only fond memories of the meat and fruit.
quote:
Most recently - I know people in the UK who have lost everything due to the hoof and mouth outbreak. They were small dairy farmers, making a living and their herd got contaminated. Many of these animals were almost pets. They had names, the cows knew their names and were "affectionate" with the family.
You cannot begin to comprehend the anguish and heartache. Imagine killing you kitty or puppy times 50. Just because these are "working" animals doesn't mean that farmers don't bond with them. Possibly they bond even more because what goes on their plate, over their head and on their backs is directly due to these animals.
Hoof and mouth goes into the soil it will be decades before they can rebuild their herds.
yes, the nutella bomb! 
