Suggested uses

Basic prep

Ingredients

Virgin Olive Oil, Tuber Melanosporum and Truffle Aroma.

Black Winter Truffles (Tuber melanosporum) are also known as "Perigord Truffles" for the region in France where they are harvested in the late autumn and winter. They are the second-most commercially valuable mushroom species in the world, and are prized by chefs and gourmands the world over for their powerful, earthy, robust flavor and aroma. Due to their scarcity, they can command astronomical prices at market.

Black Winter Truffles grow underground in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of oak and hazelnut trees. They were traditionally hunted using female pigs, who would mistake the truffles' aroma for the mating hormone of male pigs. Unfortunately, since pigs are rather indiscriminate eaters, this led to the pigs consuming nearly as many truffles as were successfully harvested. Now, truffle hunters typically use trained dogs.

Black Winter Truffles are irregularly shaped and warty-molded by the stones that surround them in the soil-with a rough skin-like surface covered in small crystalline projections. When mature, the surface is dark brown to nearly black, and the inside of the flesh is deep chocolate brown with white marbling. They range in size from that of a walnut to that of a fist.

The powerful aroma and flavor of a truffle is famously difficult to describe, but it bears notes of garlic, wild mushroom and hazelnut. It is extremely umami, and lends an assertive flavor that quickly takes center stage in any dish. Hence, it is best to serve truffles with relatively neutral ingredients such as eggs, cheese, cream, potatoes, pasta and rice, which will allow the truffles to shine. Fats can capture and enhance the aroma of truffles, so they are favored partners. Our Sliced Black Winter Truffles can be infused into sauces or chopped and added to dishes to add depth. They should not be overcooked, however, as this compromises their flavor.