Content
Piedmont truffle is an underground representative of the mushroom kingdom, which forms in the form of irregular tubers. Belongs to the Truffle family. The name comes from the Piedmont region located in Northern Italy. It is there that this nondescript delicacy grows, for which many are ready to give a decent amount. There are also other names: real white, Italian truffle.
What a Piedmont truffle looks like
Fruit bodies are irregularly shaped underground tubers. Their size ranges from 2 to 12 cm, and their weight ranges from 30 to 300 g. In Piedmont, you can find specimens weighing more than 1 kg, but such a find is rare.
The uneven surface of the Piedmont mushroom feels velvety to the touch
Skin color can be light ocher or brownish. The coating does not separate from the pulp.
Spores are oval, mesh. 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 pulp is dense in consistency.
Where does the white Italian truffle grow?
This representative of the mushroom kingdom is found in deciduous forests in Italy, France and southern Europe. Piedmontese mushroom forms mycorrhiza with poplar, oak, willow, linden. Prefers loose limestone soils. The depth of occurrence is different, ranging from a few centimeters to 0.5 m.
Is it possible to eat the Piedmont truffle
Truffle from Piedmont is a delicacy that not everyone can taste. Difficulties with collection, rarity lead to the fact that the price of these mushrooms is very high.
False doubles
Among the similar species are:
Tuber gibbosum, native to the northwestern United States of America. The name gibbosum means "humpbacked", which very accurately characterizes the appearance of the underground mushroom. When ripe, thickenings are formed on its surface, resembling irregular petals or humps on large specimens. This species is edible, used similarly to the European representatives of the mushroom kingdom. 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 Troitsky truffle found in Russia. The mushroom is not as valuable as its European counterpart. It grows in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests at a depth of 7-10 cm. The size of the fruit body: diameter 5-9 cm, weight 200-300 g. There are also larger specimens weighing about 0.5 kg, up to 15 cm in diameter. Fruit body resembles a round-flattened yellowish-brown felt tuber. The pulp is light, similar in appearance to potatoes, streaked with marble veins.The aroma is specific, the taste is mushroom, with a nutty hint. The mushroom is classified as edible. You can find it by the bumps in the soil and a specific aroma. Often animals find him, and only then the person starts collecting the delicacy.
Appearance season - from August to November
Collection rules 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 towel and placed in a glass container. In this form, the fruit bodies can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days.
Italians prefer to use raw white truffles.
Truffles are rubbed on a special grater and added as a seasoning to risotto, sauces, scrambled eggs.
Meat and mushroom salads involve cutting Piedmont truffles into thin slices
Useful qualities
Truffles contain B and PP vitamins, which makes them useful for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent children who are deficient in nutrients as they grow up.
Conclusion
Piedmont truffle is a valuable representative of the mushroom kingdom, which is in great 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 years to train.
