Welcome Truffle!

Original Italian Truffle.

Truffle is the common name given to hypogeous fungii belonging to the tubere genus and consequentially to the tuberacear family, class ascomicetos.

Being a hypogeous mushrooms, truffle grows and matures in the soil next to the roots of some types of trees, specifically oaks and elm trees with which the mushroom creates a symbiotic relation, called mycorrhiza, through which truffles produce the precious sporocarp.

They are formed by an external wall called peridium, which can be smooth or textured, with a color that varies from light to dark. The inner part is called gleba and its color varies from white to black to pink to brown. On its surface there is a veining that delimitates cavities, in which are submerged big cells, called aschii, which contains the spores.

The conformation of peridium, gleba, aschii and spores lets us recognize and categorize truffles. 80% of the truffle’s mass is made up of wart, while the remaining 20% contains ashes, total nitrogen, non-proteic nitrogen, proteins, fats, soluble glucids and fibers. In order to preserve it, it’s better to wrap it in paper towel, put it in a plastic or glass container and place the container in the lower part of the fridge (0/4°C) up to ten days. If you wish to use truffle after ten days, freezing is recommended.

It helps with digestion when consumed in moderation, it has only 31 Kcal for 100 grams and it is believed to be an aphrodisiac food.

Source: special thanks to Urbani Tartufi