The truffle
The truffle is a hypogeum tuber-shaped fungus that grows underground.
It has a strong, inebriating odour and an unusual, distinctive taste. It is the noblest of all the fruits on earth, holding a privileged position compared with any other produce.
Since antiquity, this valued tuber has been used in gastronomy. The Greeks called it Hydnon and associated this name to lightning bolts from Zeus, the king of the gods. The Romans called it Tuber and the Arabs, Ramech Alchamech Tufus or Tomer. With the new millennium this sublime fruit of the earth became the ambassador of taste. It was always to be found on the banqueting tables of the most important European noble families and was given as gift by kings.
Its aroma was used to enhance the most diverse foods, giving it a sublime and noble taste that is able to intensify all flavours and therefore all moods, offering a synthesis of pleasure to the senses and ability to perceive and interpret the slightest subtleties.
Nature offers us various types of truffle and the most valued is certainly the white truffle. Its scarcity has made it the most sought-after and acclaimed tuber for the most refined palates. The truffle cannot be cultivated, it can only be gathered for three months a year and quantity is closely linked to climate, as is its quality. It is sought and gathered by expert hands: the gatherer guided by the incomparable sniff of his well-trained dog who then discovers the precious tuber hidden under ground.