subject: Truffle - The Fungi Version of Gold [print this page] Not to be confused with the chocolates, Truffles are fungi which are rare but are one of the finest delicacies that you can sample. It's because of this that Truffles are held in high regard.
In Europe it has many names: French truffle, Spanish trufa, German Trffel, Dutch Truffel and Croatian tertuf. The reason why they are rare because they need grow in mild climates, with slight weather changes. They mainly grow among the roots of trees in which they have a symbiotic relationship with their surroundings.
There are few a types of truffle that grow, although they mainly come under two categories - white or black truffles. The white truffles are distinguished by their pale cream or brownish flesh with white marbling, whilst the black is defined by its black flesh.
The white truffles can be found mainly in Italy, especially in the northern region of the country, but also it can be found Croatia in the forest regions. They grow by oak, hazel, poplar and beech and fruit in Autumn. Italian white truffles are highly regarded, and the truffle market in Alba is a key area truffle city in the country the busiest months are October and November. The Tuber magnatum pico white truffle is the white truffle found in the northern and central regions, whilst the Tuber borchii whitish truffle is found in Tuscany, Romagna, the Marche and Molise.
Black truffles and usually grows in the autumn and are found mostly in Europe, mostly in France which is why their version is considered a high quality delicacy. Other key areas that grow Black Truffles are Spain and Italy, while countries such as Slovenia, Croatia and outside of Europe in Australia. In France the markets are the busiest in the month of January, as this is when the black truffles have their highest perfume.
In various places in Italy you can go on truffle hunts, so for example if you were staying at one of the various Tuscany villas you could do a Truffle hunt in Siena, which is home to some of the best Tuscany villas in Italy.
On a truffle hunt you would hire a specifically trained Truffle hunting dog and are free to roam the countryside while the dog is trying sniff it out. But it is no easy task, as you have to be aware of what you are doing as an experienced Truffle hunter will tell you each step is crucial, they also know that it is essential to preserve the environment of the truffle zones so that new truffles can come through. Also it is best to get to the spots early and leave late as you wouldn't want to reveal your spot if you have found a truffle goldmine.
White truffles are rarer to find so they can cost quite the penny the price goes by weight. For example, in 2007 a person with the help of their dog found a truffle which weighted 1.5 kilograms which was one of the largest truffles in the past decade. So if you to go hunting, top tip: the heavier truffles, the heavier your wallet will become!
