Truffle

Name: Truffle (genus Tuber) — an underground, knobbly, round fungus that grows in partnership with tree roots, prized for its intense aroma. The main edible kinds are the black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum), the white Alba truffle (Tuber magnatum) and the summer truffle (Tuber aestivum).

Description

Truffles have been eaten since ancient times, and were valued by the Greeks and Romans, and became a luxury of French and Italian cuisine. The white truffle of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, can sell for thousands of euros per kilogram, and black truffles come mainly from France, Spain and Italy, and are now also cultivated in plantations of host trees.

Because they grow hidden underground, truffles are found using trained dogs, or traditionally pigs, which sniff out the aroma. The flavour is earthy, musky, garlicky and deeply savoury, and is lost quickly with heat and time, so truffles are shaved raw over finished dishes. Most “truffle oil” is made from olive oil and a synthetic aroma compound, rather than real truffle.

Main nutrition value

Truffles are eaten in tiny amounts, so contribute little nutritionally, though they contain some protein, fibre and minerals, and are valued for their flavour compounds.

How best to be consumed

Truffles are used in tiny amounts, shaved fresh, or infused into fat.

1. Shave fresh truffle thinly over pasta, risotto, eggs, potatoes or steak, just before serving.
2. Store truffle in a sealed jar with eggs or rice to infuse them, since the aroma travels.
3. Make truffle butter or cheese with finely chopped real truffle.
4. Use fresh truffles within a few days, kept in the fridge wrapped in paper.
5. Check labels of truffle oils and products to see whether they use real truffle.

Overconsumption could cause…

Truffles are used in tiny amounts, so overconsumption is mostly a matter of cost.

1. Allergic reactions or digestive upset in some people, and stomach discomfort from the fibre (chitin) and sugars in mushrooms in large servings.
2. Fraud and mislabelling, since cheaper truffle species or flavourings are often sold as expensive ones.
3. Rich dishes that add a lot of butter, cream and fat.
4. Mushroom poisoning from mistaken identification of wild fungi, some of which are deadly and look very similar to edible kinds, so never eat wild mushrooms unless an expert has identified them.

GroupsMushroomsFungi (mushrooms)

Related foodsBlack FungusChanterelle MushroomCordyceps MushroomCremini MushroomEnoki MushroomKing Oyster Mushroom

Wikipedia — Truffle, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle