The truffle is the underground fruit of a mushroom. There are many kinds, even
not edible ones. Among the traded ones, the most precious is Tuber Magnatum Pico (Tartufo Bianco Pregiato = White Truffle),
also of interest is Tuber Melanosporum Vitt (Tartufo Nero
Pregiato = Black Truffle). It’s curious that where the White T.
grows the Black T. doesn’t.
The truffle grows thanks to three factors that must be together: the
type of ground, the climate conditions and the symbiotic plants. If
one of these factors is missing, the truffle doesn’t grow.
Some of the plants that live in symbiosis with truffles are:
poplars, oaks, hazels.
The geological range of the White Truffle is represented by
marly-calcareus and marly-clayey grounds of the Tertiary period.
The truffle is an ingredient, an aroma, therefore can accompany any
food. It’s often sliced over first course dishes such as noodles,
gnocchi, polenta, better if lightly dressed not to cover the
delicate taste of the truffle. Also can dress second course dishes
like omelets, veal filet and chicken breast. Also in the salad with
celery and artichoke. Or as antipasto, over toasted bread with
butter or pate.
Take care! The truffle must not be cooked and not high heated. At
the most you can grate it into melted butter to dress plain
spaghetti.
The White Truffle loses perfume and consistency after several days,
so it’s better to use within a short time. For few days, you can
keep it wrapped in soft paper and closed in a glass jar or immersed
in rice, which you may use for a fragrant risotto. For long
conservation it should be frozen at -20 Cent.
White and Black Truffles
A mushroom that has decided to be born and live underground: the truffle shares life with
the roots of the trees he has chosen as venture partners. They are oaks,
poplars, linden, willow, cistul, hazel and others called "ecto-mycorrhizal".
The tree lends its roots to the truffle for growing. When the small tubers
are many and the ground is poor (the truffle grows in poor grounds) roots of
other plants ("endo-mycorrhizal"): rose tress, olive trees, vines, which act
like wet nurses, help the little truffles to reach maturation.
The truffle grows on the roots of the symbiont plants as a wide spider-net
called mycelium that in fact is the fungus, while the truffle is the fruit
of the fungus.
The symbiosis is a relationship of mutual exchange. The plant gives sugars
to the truffle which cannot make them
by itself for it doesn’t have
chlorophyll. Truffle gives to the plant dissociated mineral salts that the
plant is not able to assimilate itself. As you see, the truffle is not a
disease or a parasite but an interested collaborator.
The truffle doesn’t have only vegetable companions but many other living
beings: animals, insects and enzymes. The enzymes prepare the humus of the
ground necessary to the truffle. Centipedes, slugs, maggots, rats, foxes,
porcupines, boars eat and digest the truffles, causing the propagation and
germination of the reproduction spores.
The ant has the capability to transfer the mycelium of some mushrooms that
are then cultivated in the anthill. Maybe the ant, like the snail, can help
us growing truffle.
The biggest white truffle in the world
In the district of San Miniato, from a village called Balconevisi, the largest specimen of
white truffle in the world was found in 1954. It weighed 2520 grams and
traveled across the Atlantic to be donated to the President of the United
States, Dwight Eisenhower.
The truffles of San Miniato (which happen to originate from Alba) take the
name "San Miniato" from the place they has been historically distributed and
sold, but they were originally from the vast area that hugs the province
spreading from Pisa to boundaries of Chianti Classico, including the
southern part of the Arno valley, Lari, Casciana Terme, Crespina, Val di
Cecina, Volterra, Montaione.
From the mycological point of view, the
truffles of San Miniato are the same fungi known as the truffles of Alba or
of Acqualagna, which are also known as Tuber Magnatum Pico. Now the question
that everyone asks is, which are better? The truffles of San Miniato or
Alba? Or of Acqualagna? The Tuber Magnatum Pico is an underground fungi
found exclusively in Italy.
We may find people being "screamishly"
pretentious about the type of terrain, the environment where it grows: in
healthy soil untainted by pollution, the size must be just so and so and so
on. But after all this, if there are truffle growing it means that the
conditions must be ideal otherwise they wouldn't grow there! So, a
difference between the taste or perfume of the truffles grown in different
areas is uncertain. Nevertheless, the basic difference may occur between the
years according to the climate of a particular year.
For example, if there
is a drought the truffles suffer from the dryness, they release a strong
aroma when harvested but it quickly fades. Whereas, if it's too wet and damp
they have little perfume. Practically, the best truffles are when they are
in abundance because of favorable climate and the price of the truffles is
lower. There are other factors which affect the increase of the price.
The
larger and more regular formed truffles (rounded, without cavities and
growths) cost more because, when they are cleaned, small particles don't
fall off and they are easier to be sliced when used for dressing dishes.
Otherwise, unfortunately, malformed truffles are difficult to brush and
often hold bits of clay in their cavities. The buyer ends up paying truffle
prices for bits of clay.
The principle quality of a matured truffle is determined not by its color
but by the network of veins that can be seem when cut open. The color, in
fact, is caused by it's symbiotic relationship with the tree it is growing
with: more whitish if it's a poplar tree, reddish if it's a linden tree,
nutty colored if it's an oak tree.
Truffles should be kept in storage for the minimum time possible as every
day they lose their weight and perfume, so it's in the interest of the
seller (for weight) and buyer (for perfume) to obtain the truffles as soon
as they've been found. The San Miniato market ensures that only produce of
good quality is sold, controlled by the vigilant eye of the Truffle
Association. In general it's best to buy from the local gatherers or
wholesales.
Truffles that are conserved, usually in glass, have little more
taste than a potato and are not worth their price, even if they are real
truffles. Sometimes, however, other underground fungi, found in China or
North Africa for less than 1,000 lira a kilo, are artificially infused with
truffle aroma and sold in containers for a 1,000,000 lira per kilo! The
gastronomic preparations of ruffles (oil, salami, pasta, sauce...) often
contain the synthetic aroma obtained from petrol, a hydrocarbon stink that
causes headaches. In fact, the aromatic substance contained in the truffles
is changeable and not able to be conserved. Therefore, it must be stressed,
the intensity of the truffles is experienced when they are consumed as fresh
as possible and the season has just begun.
The National White Truffle Market is held in the hills of San Miniato and
can be visited every year during the last 3 weeks of November. It is an
internationally recognized fair of importance that hosts many gastronomic
and cultural events. This year will be the 31st annual festival. Apart from
selling fresh truffles in various parts of the historical center of San
Miniato, other events will be included, town will host stalls and markets
where people can eat, drink and find all types of products from Toscana. San
Miniato market isn't the only place to find white truffles.
Balconevisi,
another fraction of San Miniato district, organize a lesser known market
where you can buy from the actual truffle gatherers. It is usually held on
the 3rd Sunday of October together with the Truffle and Mushroom Fair (Sagra
del Tartufo e del Fungo). It is an occasion to meet with the appetizing
offerings from the people of Valdegola: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, wine,
walnuts, chestnuts, grapes, "porcini" mushrooms ...
