Characteristics, gastronomic value, and nutritional values of black truffles

Truffle in the Kitchen

"When you talk about wine, people listen and are interested, just as they are when you talk about cheese, cured meats, or anything else, but when you mention truffles, just hearing that word, people turn around, approach you, and listen carefully: as if you had uttered a magic word..." This is what an important figure in the world of French truffles once said.

This is the fascination that our hypogeal fungus has always aroused and still exerts on people, so much so that it has been used since ancient times as a gift, in order to establish privileged relationships with authorities and even influential figures.

Appreciated by personalities of culture and art, well-known by princes and kings, so much so that Louis XV preferred to personally prepare his "omelettes aux truffes," it has always rightly been called "prince of vegetables, black diamond, monarch of all kitchens."
In fact, the fame of the truffle derives essentially from its aroma and its organoleptic characteristics, so much so that there is no cookbook that does not list it among the greatest existing delicacies. Whether white or black, truffles have always been sought after to enrich and enhance the joys of the palate.

Its role, however, is often mistakenly relegated to that of a flavoring agent, forgetting what Marco Gavio, nicknamed "Apicius," said in "De re coquinaria" as early as 25 BC, when he suggested savoring it dressed with oil, and not just using it as a flavoring.
We felt it was necessary to repeat this passage as this custom is still widespread after 2000 years.

Nutritional Values

The first works on the chemical composition and nutritional values of truffles date back to the late 19th century (Chatin, 1892 – Pizzi, 1890).
Separate analyses on white and black truffles do not show significant differences in chemical composition.
The nutritional values of black truffles are higher than those of epigeous mushrooms, and it is considered a vegetable product with high nutritional power.

It is said of truffles that the fragrant and intense substances they emit can cause a particular state of well-being and attraction towards the opposite sex: in other words, truffles seem to boast aphrodisiac properties, but this virtue still needs to be fully ascertained.

Truffles are greatly appreciated in cooking for their organoleptic properties.
Truffles do not provide many calories: in fact, 100 grams of product contain only 31 Kcal.
From a nutritional point of view, it is a food with scarce phytotherapeutic actions.
They consist of a high percentage of water, fiber, and mineral salts skillfully absorbed from the soil through the roots of the tree with which they live in symbiosis. Truffles contain good quantities of vegetable proteins, are rich in nitrogenous substances, modest quantities of carbohydrates, are generally easily digestible, have olfactory principles and coloring matters.
In this regard, a recent study revealed other interesting peculiarities of how truffles have excellent skin-lightening properties thanks to their interaction with melanin.
It is useful in the treatment of skin spots caused by the accumulation of melanin pigment; during tanning, truffle consumption is not recommended.
Truffles are an excellent natural remedy in case of demineralization.
When combined with other foods, therefore used as a kind of aromatic spice, truffles facilitate digestion; conversely, when their consumption becomes habitual, truffles can pose a potential danger to the liver and stomach. It is no coincidence that it is not recommended for patients suffering from liver disease, kidney stones, and hepatopathies.

Nutritional values of fresh black truffle per 100g
Calories are given for raw food

Bibliography: INRAN Food Composition Tables – National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition

It is important to highlight:
– Proteins: complete, rich in essential amino acids (lysine, cystine, methionine) and easily digestible.
– The percentage of lipids, which is not high, but is good for a food of plant origin. Furthermore, in the lipid fraction we find relative quantities of unsaturated fatty acids (especially linoleic acid).
This is the most interesting nutritional characteristic given the known anti-cholesterol effect of unsaturated fatty acids.
– Good contribution of potassium, iron, and calcium among the minerals.

Gastronomic Value

In addition to its good nutritional value, truffles have an excellent gastronomic value and represent one of the most refined condiments.
To best enhance it, it is important to remember that it should be used with dishes that enhance its qualities; it is therefore necessary to avoid combinations with strong and fragrant-tasting salt.
The value of truffles is, in fact, subordinate to the species of truffle used. The maximum gastronomic value that can be achieved in cooking is undoubtedly exerted by the prized white truffle, which manages to characterize any dish with its intense aroma.
Next is the Tuber Melanosporum, also called Prized Black Truffle, Norcia and Spoleto truffle, sweet black truffle. It is a truffle with excellent organoleptic characteristics, which lends itself to being cooked in many ways with excellent results and pairings with numerous dishes.

Then we have the summer truffle, with its typical fungal aroma different from its similar Tuber Uncinatum which ripens in autumn. If we use Tuber Mesenterium, a species characterized by a strong phenolic acid smell, we must calculate a smaller dose and before adding it to dishes, leave it ground in the air to make it lose (being very volatile) a good part of its pungent aroma.
The use of Tuber Brumale and the Moschatum variety, species that ripen concurrently with the prized black truffle, and which are often mixed together, but are distinguishable by their absolutely black flesh, not purplish-black.

They have distinctly inferior organoleptic and commercial characteristics compared to the prized black truffle, with a less intense aroma for the former and a musky scent for the latter, but they must be consumed quickly as they quickly lose their aroma.
In addition to the species mentioned, in the Brescia area, a small amount of Tuber Borchii or "Bianchetto" is harvested. This truffle, with a smooth white skin similar to the prized white, ripens in the spring months and is characterized by a distinctly garlicky, but pleasant, aroma.

As can be seen, there are nine species allowed for commercial sale (see legislation blog) and that can be used in cooking; each species has its own particular character, its own aroma, its own flavor, and to achieve the best results, one should first learn to know them.

Use in recipes

The recipes must adhere to the fundamental principle for the correct use of truffles: pair them with ingredients that do not overpower their wonderful aroma.
It is important to keep in mind that the correct amount of truffle to use is approximately 10/15 grams per person for prized truffles: Tuber Magnatum and Tuber Melanosporum, while 20 grams of truffle per person is recommended for other species.

The value of the Prized Black Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum)
Appreciated for its penetrating yet delicate and pleasant aroma, not excessively pungent, and for its characteristic and unmistakable flavor.

Peculiar Characteristics

The color, aroma, and flavor of the truffle depend on both the soil in which the fungus grows and the type of tree near which it develops. For example, truffles that live in symbiosis with lime tree roots will have a light color and an aromatic flavor, unlike those attached to oak trees, which have a marked, rich, and penetrating aroma.
The shape of the truffle is significantly influenced by the characteristics of the soil: in compact soils, the fungus tends to assume a globose and gnarled shape due to development difficulties, while in soft soils, the truffle is smoother, more uniform, and rounder.