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The Piedmont truffle is an underground representative of the fungal kingdom, formed in the form of irregular tubers. Belongs to the Truffle family. The name comes from the region of Piedmont, located in Northern Italy. It is there that this inconspicuous delicacy grows, for which many are willing to pay a decent amount. There are also other names: true white, Italian truffle.
What does a Piedmontese truffle look like?
Fruiting bodies are irregularly shaped underground tubers. Their size ranges from 2 to 12 cm, and their weight is from 30 to 300 g. In Piedmont, you can come across specimens whose weight exceeds 1 kg, but such a find is rare.
The uneven surface of the Piedmontese mushroom feels velvety to the touch.
The color of the skin can be light ocher or brownish.The coating does not separate from the pulp.
Spores are oval, reticulate. The spore powder is yellow-brown in color.
The pulp has a white or yellowish-gray tint; there are specimens that are reddish inside. In the section you can see a marble pattern of white or creamy brown. The consistency of the pulp is dense.
Where does the white Italian truffle grow?
This representative of the mushroom kingdom is found in the deciduous forests of Italy, France and southern Europe. The Piedmontese mushroom forms mycorrhiza with poplar, oak, willow, and linden. Prefers loose limestone soils. The depth of occurrence varies, ranging from a few centimeters to 0.5 m.
Is it possible to eat Piedmontese truffle?
Truffle from Piedmont is a delicacy that not everyone gets to try. Difficulties in collecting and rarity lead to the fact that the price of these mushrooms is very high.
False doubles
Among similar types are:
Tuber gibbosum, native to the northwestern United States. The name gibbosum means “humpbacked,” which very accurately characterizes the appearance of the underground mushroom. When ripe, thickenings form on its surface, resembling irregularly shaped petals or humps on large specimens. This species is edible and is used similarly to European representatives of the mushroom kingdom. The truffle aroma adds sophistication to the dish;
This representative of the Truffle family is found in coniferous forests, because. forms mycorrhiza with Douglas fir
Choiromyces meandriformis or Trinity truffle, found in Russia. The mushroom does not have the same value as its European counterpart. It grows in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests at a depth of 7-10 cm. Dimensions of the fruiting body: diameter 5-9 cm, weight 200-300 g. There are also larger specimens weighing about 0.5 kg, with a diameter of up to 15 cm. Fruiting body resembles a rounded-flattened felt tuber of a yellowish-brown color. The pulp is light, similar in appearance to potatoes, streaked with marble veins. The aroma is specific, the taste is mushroom, with a nutty note. The mushroom is classified as edible. You can find it by the bumps on the soil and its specific aroma. Often animals find it, and only then a person begins to collect the delicacy.
Emergence season: August to November
Rules for collection and use
In Piedmont, dogs are trained to collect mushrooms.
The harvested crop is not stored for long. Each tuber is wrapped in a paper napkin and placed in a glass container. In this form, the fruiting bodies can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.
Italians prefer to use white truffles raw.
Truffles are grated on a special grater and added as a seasoning to risotto, sauces, and scrambled eggs.
Meat and mushroom salads involve cutting Piedmont truffles into thin slices
Useful qualities
Truffles contain vitamins B and PP, which makes them useful for pregnant and lactating women, and teenage children who lack nutrients while growing up.
Conclusion
Piedmont truffle is a valuable representative of the mushroom kingdom, in particular demand among gourmets. You can try the delicacy at the mushroom festival held in Italy. The best truffle hunters are specially trained dogs that can take several years to train.
