Truffle

A truffle is the valuable and highly sought-after edible fruiting body of a group of subterranean ascomycete fungi of the genus Tuber. All truffles are ectomycorrhizal and are therefore found in close association with trees. These are the only "true" truffles; however, the term has been applied to several other genre of underground fungi around the world.

The ascoma (fruiting body) of truffles is highly prized as a food. Brillat-Savarin called the truffle "the diamond of the kitchen". Truffles are held in high esteem in French, northern Italian and Istrian cooking, as well as in international haute cuisine.

The mycelia of truffles form symbiotic relationships with the roots of several tree species including beech, poplar, oak, birch, hornbeam, hazel and pine.^[2][3] They prefer argillaceous or calcareous soils which are well drained and neutral or alkaline. Truffles fruit throughout the year, depending on the species and can be found buried between the leaf litter and the soil.

Their growth beneath the soil surface is thought to be an adaptation to resist predation, forest fire, drought, or severe cold. Toadstools above the surface of the soil are more vulnerable to destruction.

Some kinds of the truffles: Black truffleWhite truffle

Because of their high price and their pungent taste, truffles are used sparingly. Supplies can be found commercially as unadulterated fresh produce or preserved, typically in a light brine.

White truffles are generally served raw, and shaved over steaming buttered pasta or salads. White or black paper-thin truffle slices may be inserted into meats, under the skins of roasted fowl, in foie gras preparations, in pâtés, or in stuffings. Some specialty cheeses contain truffles as well.

The flavour of black truffles is far less pungent and more refined than that of white truffles. It is reminiscent of fresh earth and mushrooms, and when fresh, their scent fills a room almost instantly. In 2006, designer Tom Ford released a perfume that lists black truffle as its first note.

While in the past chefs used to peel truffles, in modern times most restaurants brush the truffle carefully and shave it or dice it with the skin on so as to use most of this expensive ingredient. A few restaurants, such as Philippe Rochat in Switzerland, still stamp out circular discs of truffle flesh and use the skins for sauces.

Truffle oil is often used as a lower cost and convenient substitute for truffles, to provide flavouring or to enhance the flavour and aroma of truffles in cooking. Most of the “truffle oil” used in the US however, does not contain any truffles.^[14] The vast majority is olive oil which has been artificially flavoured using a synthetic agent such as 2,4-dithiapentane. Daniel Patterson reported in the New York Times that "even now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles." Many chefs continue to use inexpensive synthetic truffle oil, considering it to be "a reasonable substitute."