Black Truffles in Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Winter has arrived in Tuscany and with it the fruits of this season, among which I want to particularly highlight black truffles since they are one of the products that you simply must try on a trip to Tuscany.

The Truffles are truly delicious, difficult to find and extremely expensive, this being said, owing to the little gastronomic culture that exists around the product it´s important that you have some information to be able to distinguish them.

In fact one must be careful when ordering a dish with truffles because, as is the case with mushrooms, there are many different varieties that make them more or less expensive depending on the quality and quantity available in the market.

 

We´ll start with the “Tuber aestivum Vittad.”This is the most typical type of truffle, in Italian it is known as the “Scrozone nero” or “tartufo d´estate.”  

As the Italian name indicates, it is a truffle which can also be found in the summer. The period between the 15^th of June and the 30^th of November is that during which it is usually found and it is the truffle that most restaurants will offer since it is the most abundant but also the least fragrant. It is easily distinguished from the other two varieties I´m going to talk about due to its brown colour once open.

Much better than the first and stronger in flavour is the “Tuber melanosporum Vittad" known by the Italians as "tartufo nero pregiato," “Precious” black truffle.

 This variety is found from the beginning of November up until the end of March and is one of the best black truffles out there. In fact, this truffle needs cold and dry weather to reach its peak.

 The third and final type of truffle that you can find at this time of year is the
"Tuber macrosporum Vittad," “tartufo nero liscio” or “smooth” black truffle.

 This one has a short season from the beginning of October until the end of December. It also has an excellent aroma and is perfect for giving flavour to pasta or fried eggs.

All this considered I recommend you ask what type of truffles are being served and certainly to try dishes using the second and third varieties which are much tastier.

Hopefully this information will be useful on your next trip to Tuscany!