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Truffles – Wild Mushrooms For Gourmets

Truffles are bulbous wild mushrooms the size of nuts to apples. They usually grow underground. The real Périgord truffle is black and has fine white veins inside. There is also the lighter white truffle. The mushrooms are usually searched for with specially trained dogs, which are guided by the smell of the truffles. The truffle is the most expensive edible mushroom because of its special aroma and the time-consuming harvest. The noble mushrooms are so rare that a truffle hunter with a dog often only finds 60 to 80 grams of white or 200 to 300 grams of black truffles in one day. This fact is also due to the high prices. White truffles cost up to 9000 euros per kilo. With black truffles you only have to reckon with about 1000 euros per kilo.
Today the Chinese truffle “Tuber Indicum” is traded the most. The skin of this truffle is dark red to dark brown and smoother than that of the melanosporum. The pulp is black with fine, short veins and rubbery. This truffle has been mainly imported to France since the beginning of the century with about 20 tons per year. It has also been traded in Italy for a few years.

Origin

Truffles were probably already known in prehistoric times and around 300 BC. already very common in Mesopotamia. Truffles come in different forms and very different quality all over the world. Truffles from Périgord in France and Piedmont in northern Italy are particularly well-known and tasty. Since truffle farming seemed impossible for a long time, a trick was used and entire areas were reforested with oak seedlings from truffle regions, which led to the first harvest after a good ten years.

Season

The white truffle season starts in October and ends at the end of December. The black truffle season begins in early December and ends in mid-March. Do the truffles come from overseas, e.g. B. Australia, there is another truffle season, namely from July to September. The Tuber Indicum grows from October to March.

Taste

Truffles taste earthy and nutty and are reminiscent of wilting leaves and autumn undergrowth.

Use

Before use, truffles must be carefully cleaned of soil residue with a soft brush. White truffles have a strong smell and a rather subtle taste. Therefore, they are never cooked, but rather planed over the finished dishes with a special slicer. Black truffles have a far more distinct flavor that is not volatile. It is passed on to the food even when it is heated to a high temperature, giving it an exquisite aroma. Processed cheaper truffle products such as truffle butter or truffle oil can also be found on the market. For example, truffle pasta with pancetta, parmesan and truffle oil tastes particularly good. The Tuber Indicum is used in Germany for the production of truffle liver sausage. Many other dishes can be prepared with truffles – try it yourself!

Storage

Truffles should be ordered or bought to be delivered a day before or on the day of consumption. If you want to store them, it is best to do so in a sealed container in the fridge. You can also freeze truffles for long storage, but this is not really optimal for the noble mushrooms.

Durability

Truffles lose a little of their great aroma every day. After ten to 14 days, they taste like almost nothing. It is therefore advisable to use them as soon as possible.

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Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

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