The Truffle Kingpin of New York City

Great Big Story profiles Ian Purkayasthaj, who they call the "Truffle Kingpin of New York City." Purkayastha imports the rare fungi and supplies the majority of high-end chefs and restaurants across the city through his company Regalis Foods.

At first glance, 24-year-old Ian Purkayastha seems like any other entrepreneur: he's motivated, crafty, disciplined, and personable. But behind the facade of a clever businessman lies a youthful energy and a passion for selling some of the rarest food on the planet: truffles. Purkayastha sells all kinds of truffles to 90 percent of New York's fine dining restaurants and has been peddling the fungi out of his backpack to the likes of Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernadin, and other Michelin-starred restaurants for nine years now.?

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