Black Truffles vs. White Truffles

Truffles, especially the highly sought after white variety, are the pinnacle of gourmet, usually too expensive for most consumers, except in parts of Northern Italy and Umbria where Tartufi are a key ingredient in local dishes. In this way truffles live a double life: outrageously expensive and used in the highest of high cuisine, and yet harvested in a time-honored tradition that has little to do with gourmet sophistication.

• It was once believed that truffles grew in spots where lightening struck.
• Truffles are formed below the soil close to a tree's root systems and similar to how Porcini mushrooms live off a nearby tree's nutrients, truffles are the "fruit" of another fungus/tree relationship. The truffle could be considered a parasite, since it is not known if the tree receives any benefits from this relationship.
• The fungus that makes truffles can only survive in certain soil conditions such as those created in stands of oak, willow and linden trees. Once attached to a root, the fungus will produce one truffle per year, with each type of tree lending a distinctive aroma and flavor to the truffle.

Variety of Truffles

Depending upon the variety of truffle (at least eight species grow in Italy); these fungi are harvested from late summer to early spring by experienced gatherers known as trifolau.

The truffles harvesters are a secretive lot that keep their special truffle groves to themselves, often taking long winding paths at night or in the early morning fog to confuse those that would try to follow. These men are the masters of the poker face; you can never tell if it had been a good harvest day or bad - they would never give out that kind of information. This secrecy has ensured that these rare edibles are still around for us to enjoy and not ravaged by poachers, who would not dig with the care to preserve the truffle forming fungus underground. The trifolau does have some help in his hunt, as the actual finding of the truffle is done by either a trained pig or by a mongrel dog (it is said pedigree dogs cannot smell truffles) with its superior sense of smell.

White Truffles

Found growing in stands of oak, willow or poplar the white truffle is harvested from September to December with the cream of the crop coming from the Alba area. There is another white truffle hotspot in the Marche region near Aqualanga that is not so well known outside Italy. Tartufo Bianco is harvested from September to December using dogs and is characterized by a whitish exterior that can be almost brown with streaks of pink - depending upon the type of tree it grew under.

In size the white truffle ranges from walnut to orange sized and are incredibly expensive - nearly worth its weight in gold.

This truffle is definitely the most aromatic and flavorful of all the truffle species and great care is taken in is consumption. The white truffle is never cooked and only served fresh; it is far too delicate for cooking - although it can be preserved or infused in olive oil. Instead it is shaved raw over cold or warm dishes often to enhance the flavors and aroma of specialties like risotto or Carne Cruda all'Albese (an antipasto much like carpaccio), pastas like tagliatelle. The white truffle is also popular sliced thin in salads or on eggs.

Black Truffles

The more affordable and plentiful black truffle (tartufo nero) is less aromatic and flavorful than the white variety. Found in Piedmonte, but also as far south as Umbria (especially along the Nera river), these truffles are often have a wrinkly skin and range in size similar to the white truffle.

The Umbrian variety of black truffle has a harvesting season from November to March and is found with the help of a trained pig. The Tartufo Nero can withstand the stress of cooking and is often found incorporated into sauces, or a spread for bruschetta or crostini. Black truffle omelets are a favorite of Assisi and they can also be sliced raw and served with carpaccio or bresaola. Black truffles and black truffle products can also be found preserved in jars or cans. The Tre Scalini ristorante in Rome's Piazza Navona is famous for using black truffles in their signature Tartufo gelato.