Advance Praise

"Holy hell, this is a good book. With prose that is often as seductive as the elusive fungus itself, The Truffle Underground transports the reader to an intoxicating world of aromatic forests and international intrigue, full of passion, promise and danger, as gripping as any HBO prestige drama. This impressively researched and beautifully written debut is a must-read for anyone interested in how our food makes its way to our plate from its origin in the wild world. I found myself reading it far into the night, thinking again and again, just a few pages more..."
—Summer Brennan, author of The Oyster War

“In elegant, mesmerizing prose, Ryan Jacobs has delivered a forest-to-table page-turner from the outer limits of our foodie culture, a place where colorful farmers, serial dog murderers and famous chefs grapple over a crudely foraged fungus that's traded in parking lots and bars, like heroin. The Truffle Underground is an eye-opener for anyone who's picked up a fork.”
—Steve Fainaru, New York Times bestselling author of League of Denial and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter

“The Truffle Underground is a fascinating, genre-blending romp. It's a business book, a mystery, a science lesson, and a love story that's as seductive as the buttery fungus at the heart of it all.”
—Derek Thompson, national bestselling author of Hit Makers and staff writer at The Atlantic

"Jacobs is an unstoppable and captivating guide through the dark underbelly of the world’s most glamorous fungus. This is the ultimate truffle true crime tale."
—Bianca Bosker, New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork

"It is totally unlikely that I will ever be a truffle hunter, but thanks to Ryan Jacobs’ thrilling book, I have experienced truffle sales no less shady than a parking lot drug deal, escaped bandits with my haul intact, witnessed truffle heists, and mastered the scientific mysteries of their growth. And best of all, as a reward for having (not at all) lived through such mayhem, I feel entitled to say to the waiter, why yes, I will add truffles to my pasta for [an exorbitant amount of money]."
—Alexis Coe, author of Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis and You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington