You may have heard of these beautiful little things called truffles (real truffles, not chocolate). Truffle mushrooms, also known as the diamonds of the kitchen, are usually shaved over Mediterranean dishes and used as a base for Italian food such as pasta and pizza. Their unique flavor pairs well with fine main dishes and is perfect for aiolis or as a garnish for starters such as fries.
Chefs around the world are passionate about the use of truffles and proudly feature them on their menus to attract mushroom lovers and expensive gourmets alike. Although truffles can certainly be one of the most expensive foods in the worldtypes are cheaper than others. The different types of truffles grown in different parts of the world and even harvested in different seasons can vary greatly in price, but are almost always more expensive than the mushrooms from the local supermarket.
If you're new to truffles, maybe yeswonder why they are so highly respected and how incrediblethe taste of trufflesmust be to guarantee such high costs. Are they worth the price? The answer may vary depending on who you ask, but no one can deny that truffles have a special taste unlike any other delicacy.
What are truffles?
Truffles are a handful of fragrant mushroom species from the tuber genus. Of all 86 accepted tuber varieties, only about 9 to 10 are consumed as a delicacy.
Truffles grow undergroundimainly in deciduous forests on calcareous soils such as those found throughout Europe and Asia. They usually look like lumpy potatoes with rough skin, a firm, spongy texture and a sweet, earthy aroma. The closest thing this group of underground spore species can be compared to is wild mushrooms. But because they develop completely submerged in nutrient-rich soil, truffles have a rich and completely unique flavorno terrestrial fungus can possess.
All in all, truffles are actually beautiful, edible, underground mushrooms. While you can't eat every mushroom you pick from the earth, all types called truffles are edible and have the same general nuances when eaten.
So what do truffles taste like?
To say that truffles taste like mushrooms would be a huge injustice, and yet here we must begin to explain the sensation you get when you eat them. GeneralizationWhat do truffles taste like?is no easy task, but they pack the earthy and musky/meaty/gamy flavor of some popular, otherworldly mushrooms. When describing truffles, some would say they taste like they smell: oaky, nutty and earthy, sweet and juicy with sharp salty notes like black olives. Often the aroma of fresh truffle spores is stronger than the taste, because even the strongest black truffles will not overpower the other ingredients in the mouth.
While most popular tubers are grown primarily in France, Italy, Spain and China, others come from a list of countries including the US, Mexico, Poland, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. Although these countries share some similarities in their environments, they all produce truffles with subtly different flavors.
There are many factors that can influence the individual taste of a truffle variety. The tree roots to which the truffles attach while growing, the soil in which the truffles grow, the season in which the truffles are harvested, and the region the truffles come from all influence their flavor. Not all truffles taste the same, even truffles from the same variety can taste different if they are developed in different parts of the world. Although it is usually 'the darker the truffle, the stronger the flavour', anyone who has tried truffles more than once can tell you that these fragrant and delicious underground spores are both complex and diverse, like fine wine or cheese, and all the more more. the more you try them, the more you can try to understand their almost indescribable taste.
