Regalis

Ian Purkayastha's New York company Regalis began in 2012 by selling truffles to chefs, and it has since added caviar, uni, Japanese Wagyu and wild foraged foods.

About Regalis

Based in
New York City
Founded
2012
Known for
fresh truffles, caviar and specialty ingredients for chefs

Ian Purkayastha grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and was foraging wild mushrooms as a teenager. In 2012 he started Regalis in New York City, selling truffles to chefs. The company has since added caviar, uni, Japanese Wagyu, wild foraged edibles and live seafood, and lists warehouses and offices in New York, Chicago and Dallas.

Purkayastha was 19 when he founded Regalis. By 15 he was already running a small foraging and import business, selling to restaurants in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and in 2017 he told the story in his book Truffle Boy.

Regalis questions

What is a truffle?

A truffle is the fruiting body, the spore-bearing part, of a fungus that grows underground in partnership with the roots of trees, usually oak or hazelnut. Because truffles are hidden in the soil, hunters find them with animals that have a keen sense of smell, now mostly trained dogs. The black Périgord truffle of France is harvested in late autumn and winter, and the prized white truffle comes mainly from around Alba, in northern Italy.

What are caviar and uni?

Caviar is salt-cured roe, or fish eggs, from sturgeon; traditionally the word meant only wild sturgeon roe from the Caspian and Black Seas. Uni is the Japanese name for sea urchin, and it refers to the gonads, the only meaty part of the animal, which in Japan are eaten raw as sushi or sashimi. Both are among the foods Regalis added after it started with truffles.

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