Truffles
Truffles are a type of fungi that belong to the Tuber genus. Edible truffles are usually found underground and are harvested by foragers or trained animals, like truffle-hunting dogs or pigs. The most sought-after species include the white truffle (Tuber magnatum) and the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). Truffles are used to add a unique and earthy flavor to various dishes, such as pasta, risotto, and sauces.
Truffles are edible fungi prized for their distinctive aroma and flavour. They grow underground in close association with the roots of certain trees, including oak, hazel and beech. A truffle is irregular in shape with a rough, warty surface, and its flesh is dense and firm, carrying a distinctive musky aroma and an intense, earthy flavour.
In the kitchen and in formulated food products, truffles are used in small amounts as a flavour enhancer across a wide range of dishes, including pasta, risotto and meat dishes. Because of that unique flavour and their rarity, truffles are also one of the most expensive food items in the world, which makes yield, handling and portion control commercially significant wherever they are processed.
Cultivation follows four broad steps. Site preparation comes first, with the location selected on soil quality, climate and the presence of suitable host trees. Host trees, typically oak or hazelnut, are then planted in the prepared soil. The truffle trees require regular maintenance, including watering, fertilization and pruning. Finally, at harvest, growers use specially trained dogs or pigs to locate the truffles growing underground.
Established players in the truffle market include Truffle France, Tartufi Morra, Sabatino Tartufi, Gazzarrini Tartufi, Sherry Truffles and Plantin.