If you had ever researched the most high-class, delicious, and engrossing foods across the world, you might have heard the name of truffles. What type of delicacy this food offers is just unimaginable. On account of its versatility, it has achieved a grand position in great literature. Moreover, it has been associated with Roman traditions and Greek Mythology for its pure integrity. Over time, the popularity of this food is just boosting.
Hence, does not any question arise in your mind? Are you not curious enough to know about the white truffles? Hence, I’m here to quench your thirst for knowing the ins and outs of the white truffles. So, let’s go on and discover some exclusive features of the white truffles.
What are White Truffles?
Known as the diamond of the kitchen, White Truffles are one of the most popular and delicious food items on the earth. Truffle is mostly known for its outstanding flavor and intense aroma. It enhances the taste of the foods and snacks such as pasta, noodles, egg dishes, and rice with a pleasant smell.
Because of being a species of the Tuber genus, its scientific name is Tuber magnatum. But it is not completely a tuber, rather a form of fungi or mushrooms. Specifically, there are numerous species of truffles in the world. Among them, the most common species are winter white, winter black, muscat black, musky black, Chinese black, Himalayan black, summer black, autumn black, and white truffles.
From these variants, the white truffle is much more well-known and popular. It is sometimes called a Piedmont truffle or Alba Truffle as Italy has been exalted with an abundance of this mushroom. It is mainly an Italian treasure found in the region of Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, and Umbria. Besides, it is barely produced in New Zealand, China, France, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific Northwest.
White Truffles are an authentic fruit on the earth, arduously cultivated in the underground and they come in different colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors. The color ranges from white with pink veining to grey with darker veining, depending on the host tree it lives off.
The flesh of the white truffles appears in a pale cream to light brown with white marbling on the whole body. And these varieties come from the difference of the host trees which are predominantly oaks, hornbeam, poplars, willows, hazel trees, and linden trees. At the root of these trees, white truffles grow up and become different.
Are white truffles mushrooms?
Many botanists define white truffles as a species of mushrooms or a kind of fungi, while the others prescribe it as a member of the tuber genus family. But there are some natural differences between them.
White truffles are grown underground whereas mushrooms are above ground. Moreover, their taste also differs in some cases. However, for the sake of simplicity, it can be said that white truffles are a genre of mushrooms as both of them are fungi without fruiting bodies.
How long is white truffle season?
Producing white truffles is much more strenuous. In this case, the weather must be contemplated. When it is too dry and hot in summer, truffles can not grow well. They need humid, Dewey, and rainy weather. So, the white truffles are only available from September to December.
Specifically, its peak season is very short that stays for November and December. At the time, they grew up wildly in the forest around Alba. Particularly, in the deep forest of Langhe that is a fecund area in Piemonte, white truffles are cultivated very much as the clay is wet and soggy. This supportive weather allows the truffles to grow larger and more prosperous.
What is so special about white truffles?
Grand duke of truffles, white truffles are very special underground fungi. If I’m asked what is so special about white truffles, I’ll say that it is the smell, the heavenly aroma. If you have ever experienced a single piece of white truffles, you have already known that the unearthly smell of white truffles is impossible to expose in words.
Honestly speaking, the fragrance of white truffles is simply intoxicating if the truffles come from a good environment. When the cream-colored center of this fungus is exposed, a pungent aroma appears and it is irresistible. And, this pleasant smell is obsessive and captivating.
Why is white truffle so expensive?
By all means, you can assume that white truffles are so expensive and the price is just exorbitant. In 2009, 1.6Ib white truffle was sold for $150,000. Then, only 2 pounds of the white truffles were sold for $85,000 at an auction in 2018. Again, in the Alba White Truffle World Auction in 2020, 900-gram white truffles were sold at a price tag of nearly $120,000. A more surprising price tag is not illustrated yet. Very recently, only 3lbs of white truffles were sold for $330,000. Can you believe these price tags?
In general, a single pound of white truffles is sold for $2,000 on average. And the price goes up from $3,500 to $4,000 on occasions. Therefore, when the season is over, the price becomes more and more excessive and everyone can not afford it.
Henceforth, a usual question may arise here: why white truffle is so expensive? There are multiple reasons behind it. Very well, let’s find out the facts elaborately.
Among several justifications, the primary one is the rarity of the white truffles. They are quite difficult to find because of their scarcity. Some hunting animals including dogs and pigs are used to find white truffles from the soil. As I have elucidated earlier, the white truffle is predominantly found in Italy although many other species are found in other regions of the world. As a result, when this original white truffle of Italy is exported overseas, the price becomes much more outrageous.
Besides, the white truffle is inconvenient to cultivate. Most of the cultivators go in vain while just a few can be successful to produce domestically. The reason is that it needs a special type of environment having rainy and moist weather. Because it does not grow in dry soil. For this reason, their season is very short, continuing from September to December.
Another crucial factor of being high-priced is the impossibility to store for a long time. You should consume it as early as possible, especially, within a maximum of 8/10 days. You must place it rolled in a paper towel and keep it in a container closed within the freeze.
After that, when I talk about the delicacy of white truffles, the expensiveness of it is quite justified. The exceptional taste and acute scent have made it invaluable and precious.
Are truffles healthy?
In addition to the fascinating aroma and dainty flavor, white truffles contain different kinds of health effects. So, there are some inevitable benefits that white truffles provide.
Primarily, they are affluent with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They also have carbs, fiber, fatty acids, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamin C, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron.
The study also finds that white truffles are a great source of proteins that provide nine essential amino acids that one’s body needs. Besides, they carry antioxidants, another important element that fights free radicals, cancer cells, and prevent oxidative damage to your cells, heart disease, and diabetes.
Therefore, some test-tube studies disclose that white truffles can decrease the growth of several strains of bacteria. Plus, maintaining high levels of inflammation, white truffles strengthen immunity and overall health. Again, they reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar, protect the liver from damage, and relieve trachoma and other eye infections.
Though more research and study should be carried out about the health benefits of white truffles, these benefits are not negligible. Over and above, white truffles are healthy, hygienic, and salubrious.
Are white truffles better than black truffles?
White and Black are two types of truffles. When it comes to distinguishing them, white truffles are, of course, better than black truffles. And for this reason, white truffles are widely famous and renowned, and people love them more than black. However, some remarkable factors matter in this case.
The taste of white truffles is just uncompromising. They provide delicate, musky, garlic and sometimes have a nutty flavor that can certainly overwhelm anyone. Their smell is quite exquisite and pungent. On the other hand, black truffles offer an earthy taste like traditional mushroom, or red wine and chocolate. They also have a pungent smell but it is less than white truffles.
Besides, whereas white truffles, sometimes, have a taste of ammonia flavor, black truffles have a dirt and seafood flavor. Plus, white truffles look smooth and soft while black truffles are somewhat rigid and rough. Therefore, white truffles are better than black truffles in the case of taste, scent, and flavor.
Moreover, white truffles are very rare contrary to black truffles. Only a particular region of Italy and Europe can grow white truffles. On the contrary, black truffles can also be found outside Europe. Henceforth, the price of white truffles is much more superfluous than black truffles regarding the value and other essential aspects between them.
Can white truffles be cultivated?
I have mentioned above that white truffles are found in a certain area, and they are very difficult to cultivate. Most of the people fail to farm them whereas just a few people can be prosperous. Their cost, demand, and some other compulsory conditions make them unable to cultivate fairly.
However, with modern technology and science, everything seems to be possible. Consequently, research shows that cultivating white truffles is also verily possible if certain conditions are maintained perfectly.
Some French scientists reveal that they have become successful in cultivating white truffles. Since 2008, they have been running a joint project of white truffles’ orchards. They had taken much arduous diligence to accomplish their purpose. Consequently, they brought out their first harvest of cultivated white truffles in 2019 and the second is in 2020.
About the project, the authority said that whoever wants to cultivate white truffles, needs certain trees and the fungus. Then, maintaining some processes, the seeds should be planted within the root system of these particular trees. Moreover, they also need to flourish in these conditions to grow into something edible. And completing the whole process whether you will be victorious or not is much more unpredictable.
Can white truffles be grown in the US?
Yes, it is possible to grow white truffles in the USA. In the meanwhile, many farmers of the different states of the US have gained success in cultivating white truffles. According to the speech of the North American Truffle Growers Association, there are a few dozen farms across the USA that are growing white truffles successfully. The predominant States are California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and North Carolina.
How to grow up white truffles?
Cultivating white truffles is a challenging task and somewhat very unfavorable. To grow them, multiple methods should be maintained. These processes are unfriendly, intolerable, and lengthy.
At the very beginning, collect inoculated trees from a truffle farmer or a garden supplier who deals in fungi. Remember that you are planting some orchards, and will get fruits from their roots. Okay, Then, choose the area where you are going to plant the trees. In this case, every tree or orchard should be planted at a fair distance.
White truffles need alkaline soil with a pH between 7.5 and 7.9. Therefore, test the nature of the soil whether it is not suitable to cultivate or not. There are available soil test kits found at the market. After testing the soil, till it, make it compost, and add some other relevant materials.
Previously, it has been said that weather is a fundamental aspect to concern while cultivating white truffles. They demand a particular period of the year. So, remove your purchased trees from the pots and plant them in your prepared soil in the early spring.
The next step is to make a proper irrigation system. As white truffles need a moist and soggy environment, water them regularly and ensure that the soil is poachy and humid. Primarily, they will take some years to grow up naturally, and you will have to be very patient to see them growing.
After that, take care of them very carefully. Clean the surrounding of the trees, weed the area, mow the grass, and trim the trees on occasions when it seems necessary.
Finally, after years when any sign appears that truffles are full-grown, bring a trained dog to find out your harvested white truffles. Keep in mind that the time must be winter, that is the perfect time for harvesting them.
Oaky, these are the mandatory steps to grow up white truffles. If you want to cultivate this delicate food, these processes must be carried out faultlessly. Then, you may be successful in growing them.
Can white truffles be frozen?
White truffles should be eaten within a week. But if you want to store them for a long time, you can get some procedures done. Generally, white truffles can be frozen to store. To accomplish this task, impose white truffles in a glass or plastic sealed container. Then, place it in the freezer. In this way, you can conserve them for almost 5/6 months.
How long do white truffles last?
White truffles do not last more than 8/10 days. It is better to eat them within a week. But by maintaining some methods, you can store them for some months.
The chief way to keep them edible for up to six months is to preserve them in the freezer. Besides, you can keep them in the fridge. In this case, wrap them in kitchen paper and clean them once a day. Ensure that the paper is always dry because it soaks the humidity of the truffles and for this reason soggy paper causes the truffles to rot.
Moreover, you can keep some eggs or cheese with white truffles. This process is also supportive to store them for months. Along with these processes, another mentionable one is the use of extra virgin olive oil or butter. After keeping in an ice container, cover white truffles with oil or melted butter. Then, leave them in a sealed plastic or glass container. Thus, you can preserve white truffles for 2 months.
Bottom Line:
Therefore, in the long run of the article, now it is high time to draw the line. Some essential questions have been answered here to appease your excited mind. Everything about this mushroom is illustrated in detail. This unique type of food across the world is just mind-blowing. Owing to the heavenly aroma, splendid taste, worldwide demand, rare presence, arduous process, and short-time preservation, they have been credited as one of the most palatable and tasteful foods on the earth. And their appeal is just increasing day by day.
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About Dawson Kutch
Dawson Kutch is a born and raised Alaskan who loves the outdoors and everything it has to offer. Kutch has been an avid hunter and fisher his entire life, and takes great pride in providing for himself and his family. While he enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, Kutch also has a passion for fashion and loves to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. In his free time, Kutch enjoys spending time with his wife and one young daughter. He is always looking to learn more and better himself, both as a writer and as a person.
