What is precious black truffle, how to use it, and how to store it.

 
Périgord Black Truffle, Tuber Melanosporum Vittadini, is likely the most well-known truffle in international cuisine. The diamond of truffles.

The Périgord Black Truffle has a globose shape with a brownish-black rind and reddish-black flesh, furrowed by clear, thin, and highly branched veins. The Périgord Black Truffle is considered the most prized among the different varieties of Black Truffle and has an exquisite flavor that becomes more evident after cooking.

Let’s discover together what it is, how it is used and cleaned, and when its harvest season is.

The harvest takes place from December 1st to March 15th.

The Périgord Black Truffle is also excellent raw, but it is usually consumed after brief cooking and can be used as an ingredient in:

• appetizers,
• first courses,
• main courses,
• sauces and creams,
• soups,
• side dishes,
• desserts,
• pizzas,
• and even cocktails.

As you may have gathered, it is very versatile compared to other truffle varieties.

Visit our recipe blog to discover traditional and innovative ways to cook and use the Périgord Black Truffle in the kitchen.

The truffle should be stored in a glass jar or, alternatively, in an airtight plastic container. Inside, it should be wrapped in a sheet of paper towel, which should be changed daily.

We have written an article where we explained in detail all the ways to store truffles.

The tool designed for this operation is the truffle slicer. There are several types on the market: the important thing is that it is equipped with a sharp blade, so it is better to choose a quality one.

Our fresh truffles are sold already well-brushed of excess soil. We do not wash them because this process could compromise their shelf life. You simply need, a few hours before serving or using it as an ingredient, to clean it gently and thoroughly with a soft brush under lukewarm running water.

Read: How and when the Périgord Black Truffle should be cleaned

From “melanos” and “sporum” = black spores (Vittadini 1831).

• CARPOPHORE: Mostly rounded in shape, but sometimes irregular and lobed if it grows in rocky soil; the size is variable, reaching the dimensions of a potato.
• PERIDIUM: Warty surface, with pyramidal warts with depressed tips of intermediate size (3-5 mm) that strongly adhere to the gleba. The color of the peridium is black, sometimes with ferruginous zoning; in immature specimens, it tends toward wine-red.
• GLEBA: Black-brown, tending toward violet or reddish. The veins are whitish, dense, and slender, with well-defined outlines and accompanied by two translucent brown bands on the sides.
• AROMA: Aromatic, distinctive, not too pungent, delicate, pleasant.
• FLAVOR: Exquisite, so much so that it is called the “sweet black” truffle.
• ASCI: Rounded, sometimes with a short stalk, 90-140 x 80-120 µm, containing 4 to 6 spores, but also just one.
• SPORES: Initially opaque, then dark brown, elongated elliptical or ovoid in shape, 30-55 x 20-35 µm, and the surface is equipped with short, rigid spines.
• SYMBIONT PLANTS: Downy Oak, Holm Oak, Sessile Oak, Hop Hornbeam, and Hazel.

Périgord Black Truffle in my truffle ground