Truffles

The truffle is an edible member of the truffle family.

The fruit bodies of truffle mushrooms are round or tuberous in shape and range in size from 2.5 to 10 centimeters. Their surface has a dark color - from bluish-black to brown-black. It often contains pyramidal warts, but there are also species with a smooth surface.

The pulp of a young truffle is dense, while a mature one is loose. At first it is whitish, but as it ages, it acquires a brownish-yellow hue. On the cut, light veins inside the pulp give it a marbled color. The taste of the pulp of the truffle is sweetish, reminiscent of a nut. The aroma of the fungus is pleasant, similar to the smell of algae.

The most common types of truffles are:

It is found in the central part of Europe, including Russia (its second name is "black Russian"). It is valued less than other species of this fungus. The ripening season for this truffle is summer and the first month of autumn.

It grows in Europe and North America. It can also be found in Siberia.

Such a truffle can be found in the northern regions of Italy and neighboring regions of France. It is also called Italian or Piedmontese. The surface of such truffles is brownish or with a light ocher color. Inside the mushroom is dense, whitish or yellow-gray, its marbled pattern is cream or white. By its smell, this type of truffle is similar to cheese with garlic. Its collection is usually carried out in October.

It is considered the most valuable among the mushrooms of this species. Most often grows in France. The second name of such a mushroom is associated with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bgrowth - Perigorsky. It is distinguished by a reddish-brown-black color of the surface, dark flesh, a characteristic smell and a pleasant taste. Such a truffle grows in winter, it is harvested in January-March.

This mushroom grows in Switzerland and France. It is also found in Ukraine. Its main difference is the ripening period (November-March).

The truffle is an underground fungus. It usually grows at shallow depths, and old truffles may appear on the surface. You can find such a mushroom in forests - both deciduous and mixed (truffles are extremely rare among coniferous trees). It loves calcareous soils and often grows under the roots of birches, oaks, hornbeams, and beeches.

This type of mushroom grows in Central Europe. On the territory of Russia, it can be found in the Caucasus on the Black Sea coast. The search for truffles is done by specially trained dogs, as well as pigs. Over the places where truffles grow, in the evening (at sunset) you can see swarms of yellowish flies.

Since the mushroom has a short shelf life (2-4 days after harvest), it is therefore eaten fresh only during the picking season. Such mushrooms are not sold in ordinary supermarkets. They can be bought in specialized departments and directly from suppliers. Most often, truffles are purchased in small quantities for restaurants. For long-term storage, truffles canned and frozen. Mushrooms are transported in special containers, sometimes immersed in olive oil or covered with rice.

The cost of this type of mushroom is very high.A kilogram of such a delicacy costs from 400 euros. The high cost of truffles is ensured by the difficulties of growing, the seasonality of obtaining this mushroom, as well as the high taste and aromatic qualities of the product.

The value of truffles is primarily affected by the size of the specimens. The larger the mushroom, the higher its cost. The most expensive are mushrooms with a large size (like apples), but less than 1% of all collected mushrooms will grow such truffles. About 10% of the harvest is represented by the size of a walnut - these truffles are classified as Extra grade. Mushrooms with the size of a grape are collected at about 30%. The rest of the mushrooms are even smaller, so they are cheaper and are used mainly for making sauces.

• The mushroom is classified as a delicacy.
• It has a mushroom flavor, which is mixed with a hint of nuts or seeds. When dipped in water, the truffle tastes like soy sauce.
• Truffle has a strong characteristic smell.

100 g of truffles contains:

Using truffles, a person receives with them:

• proteins;
• vitamins C, PP, B1 and B2;
• carbohydrates represented by mono- and disaccharides;
• minerals;
• pheromones;
• alimentary fiber;
• antioxidants.

• The presence of pheromones in the composition of the truffle improves the emotional state of a person.
• This type of mushroom is rich in antioxidants.
• Truffle juice is able to treat eye diseases.
• A positive effect of the use of truffles for patients with gout was noted.

The use of truffles is not recommended for:

• Individual intolerance (it happens extremely rarely).
• Problems with digestion.

• A serving of truffle for one dish is rarely more than 5-8 grams. The mushroom is weighed in a restaurant on very accurate scales.
• Often truffle acts as an addition to the main dish. The mushroom is cut on a special grater.
• Such a mushroom goes well with any products, especially with dishes that do not have a particularly pronounced taste.
• In French cooking, truffles are most often combined with poultry, lobsters, eggs, and fruits.
• The mushroom can be served in its pure form, and to emphasize the taste, it is offered with a creamy or wine sauce.
• Small truffles are used to make pie fillings and truffle sauces.
• Mushroom slices are often garnished with black caviar, snails and other exotic dishes.

You can learn more about truffle mushrooms from the following Galileo video.

Cosmetologists in Italy include truffle extract in masks and skin creams. They claim that the addition of this fungus to cosmetics helps to tighten the skin, remove age spots, and cope with fine wrinkles.

Truffle mushroom cultivation in France began in 1808, when the first truffle oaks were planted. Later, truffle groves were created, producing up to a thousand tons of mushrooms per year. The decline of the country's agricultural industry has also affected the cultivation of truffles. Every year less and less is harvested from French truffle mushroom plantations.

In addition to France, such mushrooms are grown in China (now the country is the leader in the cultivation of truffles), Great Britain, the United States, Sweden and Spain, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The Chinese-grown truffle is less aromatic, but attracts with its low price and great similarity in appearance and taste with its French counterpart.To improve the quality of mushrooms supplied from China, they are mixed with truffles grown in France.

• It is believed that the truffle contains a substance with a psychotropic effect. It's called anandamide.
• Due to the incomprehensible origin of the mushroom, which was not known for a long time, many legends have appeared around the truffle. The ancient Romans considered this mushroom to be healing and potency-enhancing. In the Middle Ages, truffles were given mystical powers. During the Renaissance, this mushroom was considered an aphrodisiac.
• The use of truffles in cooking began in the 15th century by Italian chefs.
• In the village of Lorgues en Provence, there is a restaurant with a wide range of truffle dishes on the menu.