Truffles have gained widespread attention in the culinary world lately, becoming a favorite among chefs and food-lovers alike.
Not to be confused with the chocolate confectionery of the same name, truffles are a type of fungus that grows near the roots of certain trees.
There are many different types — such as black truffles, white truffles, summer truffles and garlic truffles — each with minute differences in flavor, appearance and price.
In addition to their strong flavor and pungent aroma, truffles are also highly nutritious and have been linked to a number of powerful health effects.
Truffles are rare because they only grow in very specific conditions. Unlike other mushrooms that grow on dead logs or in the soil (see our previous post on nature’s three ways to make a mushroom), truffles need a live plant to grow in a relationship called the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis.
The species of Truffle
White truffles (Tuber magnatum)
Black truffles (Tuber melanosporum)
Summer truffles (Tuber aestivum)
Other truffles
Go to truffles must be primarily a hobby and a passion, a way of living and respect nature.
It’s a good way to kick back and relax from daily routine and stress, but as said you should always have an eye on the environment, so you need to choose a way to find this precious mushroom which is effective but also preserves the territory.
A truffle is, in the simplest terms, a fungus or mushroom of the genus Tuber. It grows underground, typically near or right beneath the roots of trees, particularly oak, beech, birch, poplars and pine trees.