The Mystery Around Truffles
A magnificent 3 ounce white truffle freshly found in Alba.
Hmm… what is this? These are truffles: little dark, rumpled, rare and treasured balls that are packed with flavor. They are instantly recognizable by their odd, irregular shape. Used as a flavorful garnish, they add intriguing umami aromas and flavors to any dish. Ask any foodie and they’ll say that the truffle is a delicacy among delicacies. But what exactly is a truffle? How is it eaten? Does it pair with wine?
Truffles are forms of fungal tubers that grow underground in the roots of certain trees. Every truffle species has their own specific set of trees and terrain they favor. Once upon a time, truffle hunters (or trifolau in Italian) may have used pigs with their amazing snouts to sniff out underground truffles, but the pigs tended to eat more truffles than they uncovered - they do say that pigs are smart! This led for an industry switch towards dogs, specifically the Langotto breed. A well trained papered truffle dog in Italy can run several thousand dollars. But really any breed can be trained properly to become a great truffle hunter.
The White Truffle of Alba: Culture, History, and the Langhe Area
Truffles come in two main varieties: black and white. While most truffles can be relatively easy to find, and black varieties can even be farmed, there is one golden gem of the truffle lineup that cannot be cultivated: Tuber Magnatum PIco, Il Tartufo Bianco d’Alba or The White Truffle of Alba. One of the aspects that makes white truffles all the more precious is that they are notoriously difficult or impossible to farm. It commands famously high prices, with annual auctions that lead into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is widely considered the most prestigious of all the truffles: In fact, this truffle is so rare, they are not ‘found’ but ‘hunted’. White truffles are smaller than their black counterparts. White truffles compared to black have a noticeably more intense aroma and taste, which also makes it more sought after. While the white truffle can reach close to two pounds in rare exceptions, most white truffles vary between half an ounce to 3 ounces (10 grams to 100 grams).
A white truffle being freshly shaved over some delicious eggs
What to Eat with Truffles
Truffles are best enjoyed raw, shaved over simple dishes to really allow its unique flavors to shine through. Favorite dishes in the Piedmont region of Italy, most famous for truffles, would be over local hand sliced tajarin or fine egg noodles smothered in melted butter. Other delicious options are simple fried eggs sunny-side up, or melted cheese fonduta. With your hot plate of food, gently shave thin slices of your precious truffle over the top. The paper thin slices allow the truffle to release its aromas and spread the flavor over the dish.
There are other ways to add that distinctive truffle flavor and aroma to any dish, however. In fact, most gourmet stores carry some version of ‘Truffled Potato Chips’ or ‘Truffled Popcorn’. This is due to the aromatic properties of the truffle that diffuses around it; when placed in oil, it will gradually infuse the oil with its flavors. Truffle oil can be drizzled over finished dishes or salads to really make even the most simple dish more elegant, refined, and flavorful.
Wine and Truffles
So, you’ve got your hands on a truffle, or a bottle of truffle oil, and are planning a meal with it. What wine shall you pair it with? Given the rare qualities of the white truffle (or any truffle for that matter), the occasion to enjoy them deserves a delicious wine. Generally a wine with lower tannins and higher acidity pairs with umami flavored dishes like truffle. Given that The White Truffle of Alba is native to Piedmont, a famous Italian wine region, not surprisingly, the most prestigious piemontese wine, Barolo, pairs well with a truffle dish. Both together is a real treat! Barolo red wine is made from the nebbiolo grape, which grows almost exclusively in its native Piedmont and has a natural balance between acidity and tannis. As any piemontese local will tell you, there are few finer wines than the Barolo or the noble nebbiolo, so what better wine to share with a delicious truffle?
Vero sells several Barolos, as well as a Langhe Nebbiolo made from Barolo classified vineyards, from small vigneron winemaker Aldo Clerico. Aldo Clerico, working with his wife Valentina, create exceptional red wines from the Langhe area of Piedmont northern Italy, including a dolcetto from the Dogliani Cru and a tasty Barbera d’Alba. Both Aldo and Valentina are from storied winemaking families in the area, and have access to premier vineyards and grapes from the prestigious Barolo area. Aldo Clerico has a farm-to-glass approach to winemaking, from the vineyard to the bottle, applying only native yeast fermentation. The passion Aldo Clerico brings to his craft really comes out in his delicious wines.
Buy our Barolo Tasting Gift Set of Aldo Clerico’s Barolo and Nebbiolo wines to taste with your next truffle dinner, shipping included! It is also a great gift for any wine lover. Or shop all of our small production wines and olive oils. We deliver to your doorstep!
