What did Napoleon eat to have a child? San Er Mansion serves it up to help solve the mystery

The created by San Er Mansion’s head chef Jimmy draws inspiration from the mysterious relationship between black truffles and the waxing moon. (Photo / San Er Mansion)

The conveys the "scorched phenomenon" that occurs in the surrounding environment when black truffles grow. (Photo / San Er Mansion)

What did French Emperor Napoleon eat to "suddenly have a child"? The answer is black truffle. Legend has it that a certain captain with many children possessed a "fertility remedy" which he shared with Napoleon, leading to the birth of his son. From then on, the "miraculous effect" of black truffles began to spread, and recipes related to them became increasingly well-known. What other interesting legends are there about the so-called "black gold ingredient"? Let’s see how the chefs at San Er Mansion cook up stories through their dishes.

The story of black truffles goes like this: After years of marriage without children, Napoleon once learned by chance that one of his captains had fathered 19 children. The reason for such fertility was that before every intimate encounter, the captain would have his chef cook black truffles and chicken in champagne. Upon hearing about this "fertility remedy," Napoleon asked the military commander of the Périgord region to source the finest black truffles and chickens and prepare the dish accordingly. In 1811, Napoleon indeed had a son. Having many descendants truly brought him great fortune, and the fertile captain was subsequently promoted to colonel of the Périgord Legion. Since then, the "miraculous effects" of black truffles—especially those from Périgord—have been widely publicized around the world.

Black truffles are known as a "black gold ingredient" due to their rarity and high price. As it is currently the European black truffle season, Jimmy Chen Wen-ren, the head chef of San Er Mansion’s Italian restaurant—who is never stingy about incorporating premium ingredients into his dishes—has already used black truffles from France’s Périgord region to design and launch several dishes for diners this season. In addition to the "Rich Chicken Consommé with Slow-Braised Black Truffle," inspired by Napoleon’s fertility recipe, Jimmy also drew creative inspiration from the "legends" of black truffles to design the and . Savoring these exquisite dishes while learning the stories behind them adds even more enjoyment to the meal.

Ancient Greek botanists believed that truffles were plants born from autumn rain accompanied by thunder. In the first century BC, some thought truffles were "cocoons" formed when the heat, rain, and thunder made the earth sick. In ancient times, people often associated truffles with heat and thunder because when truffles begin to mature, the plants around oak trees start to wither and die within a radius of about 20 meters. With the vegetation dead and the soil exposed, a scorched-looking ring appears, and all the grass inside the ring withers, creating a "scorched phenomenon." Medieval people thus superstitiously believed that truffles were the incarnation of demons, and the circular scorched earth they formed was thought to be where sprites danced. After sorcerers cast spells on it, anyone who walked over it would lose their way.

Why does the land around growing truffles appear scorched? There have always been various theories and speculations. Some believe it’s because truffles, after forming a symbiotic relationship with oak trees, release certain hormones that destroy other plants, or that truffle mycelium secretes antibacterial agents—but none of these hypotheses have been scientifically proven. The most plausible theory is that truffles absorb all the nutrients and essence of the surrounding plants and soil to grow, causing the nearby land to dry up.

The inspiration for the comes from the "scorched phenomenon" during the maturation of black truffles. Jimmy uses roasted cabbage, cheese crisps, and mushroom crisps to depict the withered state of soil vegetation. The risotto is cooked with king oyster mushrooms, white beech mushrooms, and black truffles. Over time, the aroma of the truffles and mushrooms slowly blend and transform, creating a new flavor. The risotto is topped with Hokkaido scallops coated in Italian mushroom powder and seared to three to five degrees of doneness, along with freshly shaved black truffle, resulting in an intense aroma.

There are really many legends about black truffles. Many truffle hunters believe that truffle growth is related to the moon. Because truffles grow particularly quickly and take on the fullest shape with the best quality from the full moon to the waning moon, many gourmets believe that truffles produced during the waning moon are the most delicious.

Given the mysterious relationship between truffles and the waning moon, Jimmy conceived the idea for the . He uses lobsters from Yilan that are shaped just like the waning moon, paired with white enoki mushrooms and sea asparagus to showcase a fresh and sweet taste. The black truffle sauce, shrimp paste, scallion sauce, and white enoki mushroom puree give the dish layered flavors that complement each other. Finally, slices of top-grade black truffle from Périgord are shaved on top to enrich the texture and aroma.

Unique growing conditions, harvesting methods, as well as its ugly appearance and pungent smell, have long shrouded black truffles in mystery. Even though people continue to research them, black truffles remain full of unsolved mysteries and legends. Through the black truffle dishes at San Er Mansion, diners may be able to savor the secrets hidden beneath the truffle’s intense aroma.

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