Food and Recipes
A Truffle Too Good
Truffles are rare wild mushrooms. They have an earthy taste and are very much a delicacy used in fine cuisine. There are two groups: Black and White Truffles.
In the northern Italian region of Piemonte, September is the start of the truffle season and it is where some of the finest truffles are found.
In 2007 one of the largest white truffles to be found in the world for half a century was in Tuscany and weighed in at 1.5 kg, fetching £161.00 at auction. A good days work by anybody's standard!
It is actually illegal to sell white truffles out of season, so as to maintain the quality. They are difficult to find and grow very deep under trees. They are served and eaten raw. Owing to their strong flavour, it is only necessary to serve in very small quantities, grated over dishes such as pasta and risotto or in salads.
Black truffles are available all year round and are used to enhance Mediterranean dishes. Try adding shavings of truffle to scrambled egg or in mashed potatoes.
Take a look at this video for a tasty truffle omelette:
On the Italian and French Riviera, you are bound to find outlets, shops and delicatessens supplying the finest truffle products and you can even go to Truffle Fairs. But here is a UK based website for you to check out some wonderful truffle based products.
