All About Truffles!
Truffles are a wonderfully rich ingredient with a very complex and unique flavor! Cooking with truffles at home can seem intimidating, but it is an easy ingredient that will impress anyone and elevate your dish!
What is a Truffle?
It is a common misconception, but truffles are not mushrooms, they are a fungi that grows underground. Truffles have a symbiotic relationship with trees, by providing the tree with extra water and nutrients and the tree provides them with sugar from photosynthesis. In order to spread their spores, they need mammals to dig up the truffle and eat it, leading to its very distinctive scent. To harvest truffles, pigs and dogs are trained to alert to where they are growing in the forest!
There are a few different varieties of truffles that are most commonly eaten; white truffles, black truffles, and black summer truffles. White truffles, also known as the Piedmont Truffle, feature a pale golden color. They have a very strong flavor that is earthy and almost garlicky with a subtle sweetness. Black truffles also have a strong smell, but it is more earthy and mushroom-like than garlic. Black truffles, have a rich and complex flavor with nutty and earthy notes. Black truffles, have an almost black exterior and a dark interior with lighter “veins” throughout. Black summer truffles have a dark exterior but a lighter interior than black truffles. Additionally, black summer truffles have a more subtle and delicate flavor. It has been described as having a flavor similar to hazelnuts and mushrooms. When most people think of the flavor of truffle they are typically thinking of black truffles.
Preservation Methods of Truffles
Truffles cannot be planted or tamed which makes them very rare and labor intensive to collect. Additionally, each variety of truffle is only available to harvest a few months out of every year. Fresh truffles are best consumed with a few days to a couple of weeks. All of these factors contribute to the truffles’ high price point. Due to the short shelf life of truffles, various preservation methods are used to allow people to enjoy truffles all year.
Truffles are most commonly preserved in oil either sliced or whole. Oil helps to preserve the truffle’s aroma and flavor while extending the shelf life. Additionally, the oil the truffles are stored in can also be used to garnish various dishes with after the truffles are used. Truffles are also infused into balsamic vinegar to enhance their flavor and complexity.
How to Cook with Truffles
Truffles are a perfect addition to a wide variety of dishes. Some of our favorite ways to use truffles are in pastas, risottos, egg dishes, and over vegetables. To preserve their flavor, truffles are best used as a finishing ingredient. The truffle balsamic is amazing drizzled over risotto or a pizza with mushrooms. It can also be mixed with olive oil to become the perfect bread dipper. The shaved black truffles are the perfect garnish for an omelette or scrambled eggs. Truffles pair wonderfully with Parmesan, mushrooms, Gruyère, mashed potatoes, honey, bread, steak, and the list goes on and on and on.
Be creative with truffles and try adding them to your favorite dish to see the amazing flavor they bring!
By: Olivia Delise