Truffle-addicted Kuwaitis flock to souk

KUWAIT CITY - White or beige, but never black, the "desert truffle" is a rare delicacy with a dedicated marketplace in Kuwait, where remnants of the Iraqi invasion and changing weather patterns have decimated local production.

Less prestigious and less expensive than its darker cousin, the Middle Eastern truffle is a prized ingredient for Bedouins, who integrate it into their traditional rice and meat dishes or in sauces, boiled with onions.

On the outskirts of Kuwait City, in the al-Rai industrial district, connoisseurs begin perusing the truffle souk at 9:00 am, surveying the various weights and colors and using their noses to select the best fungus by smell.