Truffle Talk

Let’s talk truffles, and not the chocolate kind. What exactly is a truffle? Besides being something that can add major $$$ to any dish, truffles are an exquisitely delicious subterranean fungi, kind of like a regular mushroom’s fancy Upper East Side cousin. Coveted for their intensely rich and almost nutty flavor, truffles are extremely rare and extremely pricey. They grow underground, nestled next to the roots of certain trees and are most commonly harvested in Europe with the aid of truffle–hunting pigs and dogs. The crème de la crème of all truffles, the Winter Black Truffle, a.k.a. “Périgord Truffle,” hails from Italy, Spain and France and tastes like earthy chocolate. Italian White Truffles have a strong garlicky flavor, and while their taste is intense, their aroma fades more quickly. The list goes on: Black Summer Truffles, White Summer Truffles, Australian Truffles, Asian Truffles. So just how much will one of these little babies cost you? Winter black truffles will set you back anywhere from $700 to $3,000 per pound, or you could catch a bargain at Dean & Deluca, where they sell black truffles for only $200 per ounce! So what do us mere peasants do if we want to get in on this truffle action? We run to the truffle byproducts; oils, salts and butters, all made with the teeniest tiniest bit of sometimes real truffle just so we can get a taste.