Truffle 101

Pound-for-pound truffles are one of the world’s most expensive foods, and they have the price tag to match!

There are two main types of truffles- Black and White.

Black Truffles are found to be more common and have longer growing seasons. They have even found ways to “farm” black truffles. Growers can buy trees that are inoculated with a certain truffle varietal. This however does not guarantee truffles, it takes on average seven years for truffles to fruit from the seedling trees and with the perfect growing conditions. The most popular application for black truffles is to be cooked into dishes rather than eaten raw as they have a more pungent earthly flavor when eaten.

White Truffles are often considered the diamonds of the truffle world and are not able to be manually cultivated. Typically, white truffles are grown in the Piedmont region of Italy and parts of Croatia only from September to December and are more fragrant and robust than their black counterparts. White truffles are highly aromatic and are wonderful to eat raw, shaved a top of a dish.

When it comes to cooking with truffle the blander the base the more the truffle flavor takes center stage!

Why truffles are so scarce?

They are difficult to find. Wild truffles usually seek the aid of a truffle-smelling dog that helps the forager find the truffle underground, near the roots of the trees. Even with the aid of the dog, this is a very labor-intensive process.

Truffles require an environment that has all four seasons, dry summers in the growing regions can also attribute to less truffle production. These delicacies require very specific growing conditions including more alkaline soil and the changes in climate have reduced the quantities grown.

Both white and black truffles have a very short shelf life when picked, shortly after they are harvested, they begin to lose their intense fragrance and are extremely perishable which requires them often to be shipped overnight to their end-users.

Looking to add truffles to your menu? Call us today to learn about the current market and what types are available!