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

 
The Black Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum Vittadini) is probably the most famous truffle in International Cuisine. It is known as the diamond of truffles.

The Black Truffle has a rounded shape with a brown-black skin and reddish-black flesh, streaked with thin, highly branched clear veins. The Black Truffle is considered the most prized among the various types of Black Truffle and has an exquisite flavor that becomes more evident after cooking.

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

The harvest runs from December 1st to March 15th.

Recommended use of the Black Truffle

The Black Truffle is also excellent raw, but 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 can tell, it is very versatile compared to other types of truffles.

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

How to store the Black Truffle

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

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

How to slice the Black Truffle

The dedicated tool for this operation is the truffle slicer. There are different types on the market; the important thing is that it has a sharp blade, so it is best to choose a quality one.

How to clean the Black Truffle

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

Read: How and when to clean the Black Truffle

Common name: Black Truffle

From "melanos" and "sporum" = with black spores (Vittadini 1831).

• FRUITING BODY: Mostly rounded in shape, but sometimes also irregular and lobed if it grows in soils with abundant skeletal material; the size is variable, reaching the dimensions of a potato.
• PERIDIUM: With a warty surface, with pyramid-shaped, depressed-apex warts of intermediate size (3-5 mm) that adhere strongly to the gleba. The color of the peridium is black, sometimes with reddish-brown zones; in immature specimens, it tends to be reddish-wine.
• GLEBA: Blackish-brown, tending to purplish or reddish. The veins are whitish, dense and slender, with well-defined contours and accompanied by two translucent brown bands on the sides.
• SCENT: Aromatic, distinctive, not too pungent, delicate, pleasant.
• TASTE: Exquisite, so much so that it is called the "sweet black" truffle.
• ASCUS: Rounded, sometimes with a short stalk, 90-140 x 80-120 µm, containing 4 to 6 spores, but sometimes only one.
• SPORES: Initially opaque, then dark brown, elliptically elongated-oval in shape, 30-55 x 20-35 µm, and the surface is equipped with short, rigid spines.
• SYMBIONT PLANTS: Downy oak, Holm oak, English oak, European hop-hornbeam, and Hazel.