Top 9 Italian Truffles

Tartuflanghe is a company based in Italy that specializes in producing gourmet products, including chocolates infused with truffles. The company was founded in 1980 in Piobesi d’Alba, a small town in the Piedmont region, known for its truffle tradition. In addition to chocolates, Tartuflanghe also produces a wide range of truffle-based products such as oils, pasta, and sauces.Expand

Éleat Tartufi Alba is a family-owned company founded by Giulia and Alex, both born in the Langhe region, renowned for its stunning landscapes, prestigious vineyards, and rare white truffles. Their passion for this precious natural treasure led to the opening of their boutique in Alba on April 13, 2019. The company offers a wide range of truffle products, including fresh truffles, truffle sauces, oils, butters, and specialties such as tagliolini with truffles and polenta with porcini mushrooms. In addition, Éleat Tartufi Alba organizes unique truffle hunting experiences, giving participants the chance to explore private truffle woods with their trained Lagotto Romagnolo dogs and uncover the secrets of this craft. Based at Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi 2 in Alba, Éleat Tartufi Alba is dedicated to providing high-quality products and authentic experiences for truffle enthusiasts around the world.Expand

Alba Royal Truffles is a distinguished company specializing in the sale of premium white and black truffles, as well as a curated selection of truffle-infused products. Their offerings include fresh Alba white truffles, celebrated for their velvety exterior and rich aroma, and black truffles, each meticulously sourced from the renowned truffle regions of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato. For enthusiasts seeking an immersive experience, the company organizes exclusive truffle hunting excursions in the woods of Langa and Roero. Participants accompany experienced truffle hunters and their dogs, learning about truffle characteristics, history, and foraging techniques amidst the picturesque UNESCO-listed hills. Expand

Tartufi & Co. is located in the historic center of Alba, Italy, renowned for offering high-quality white and black truffles, as well as a variety of truffle-based products and traditional Piedmontese specialties. Their selection includes truffle-infused oils, black truffle carpaccio, local mushrooms, hazelnuts, cured meats, cheeses, and wines from esteemed local wineries. The store is dedicated to providing authentic Piedmontese gastronomic products and organizes tasting events to showcase these delicacies. They also offer nationwide shipping across Italy, ensuring that customers can enjoy their premium products throughout the country. Expand

Tartufo bianco d'Alba is an extremely rare Italian white truffle (lat. Tuber magnatum pico) found in the Alba region from October to December. The truffles grow symbiotically with hazel, poplar, beech, and oak. Their rich flavor and aroma is often described as moldy, earthy, oniony, cheesy, and garlicky. On the inside, these pale cream or brown truffles have a white, marbled, and creamy interior that is riddled with ivory veins. They pair extremely well with cheese, crab, beef, and chicken. Many purists believe that these expensive mushrooms should be used exclusively to top off pasta, risottos, pot roasts, and egg or potato dishes. It's certainly at its best raw - when cooked, this truffle loses all its flavor.Expand

Named after the French Périgord region, black Périgord truffles (lat. Tuber mélanosporum) grow nestled in the roots of hazelnut and oak trees and are typically harvested during autumn and winter. Bulbous and irregularly shaped, the truffles are full of white veins on the inside. They are characterized by their unique, pungent, and earthy fragrance. When fully mature (from December to March), they release their distinctively musky and slightly sweet flavor, which is why Périgord black truffles are one of the most expensive edible fungi in existence. The best black truffles in Italy come from Norcia in Umbria, and in Spain from Teruel in Aragon. Small quantities of Tuber melanosporum can also be found in Slovenia and Croatia.Expand

White spring truffle (lat. Tuber borchii vitt) is an Italian truffle that's spread throughout the peninsula, from sandy to limestone and clay soils. The exterior is very similar to that of Tartufo bianco d'Alba, but luckily, they don't ripen at the same time – this one is harvested from January to the end of April. Bianchetto has a smooth and pale-white surface, while the interior is reddish-brown with rough, wide, and branched veins that are whitish but turn brown over time. The aroma is intense (but not as intense as that of the real white truffle) and reminiscent of garlic, while the flavor is not particularly pleasant. When cooked, Bianchetto might become indigestible. The price of this truffle is lower than that of the famed white truffles and prized black truffles. It's recommended to use it in salads or homemade broths.Expand

Black summer truffle, also known as Scorzone (lat. Tuber aestivum vitt) is a summer truffle that's easily recognizable by its rough, warted, black surface. This alligator skin-like surface is covered with tiny diamond-shaped projections that are molded by stones which surround the truffle while it's still in the soil. When fully mature, its flesh is pale grey with white marbling. The aroma is rich and woodsy, while the flavors are garlicky, mushroomy, and earthy with hints of hazelnuts. This truffle is harvested during the summer, hence the name. Shave it fresh over pasta or add it to sauces for more depth. Scorzone pairs well with foie gras, lobster, caviar, mascarpone, aged hard cheeses, and herbs such as basil and rocket. Scorzone's price is well below that of the real black truffle, and it's harvested from May to October, but these truffles are at their best in July.Expand

Tartufo di Bagnoli (lat. Tuber mesentericum vitt) is a truffle that's harvested from October to March and grows in limestone and clay soil forests with oaks, hornbeam, beech, maple, and hazel trees. Its aromas are very unpleasant, reminiscent of bitter almonds. The exterior is black or brown with small warts. The interior is yellowish, grey, or brown. The flavor is also bitter, making it unappetising and little appreciated. Eat it raw, thinly shaved over various dishes.Expand

Burgundy truffle (lat. Tuber aestivum var uncinatum) is the autumn variety of black summer truffle. These truffles are available in the fall (September to late December) and look like small rocks with a rough surface. The exterior is brown, with large diamond-shaped points. The interior is coffee-colored and veined. The aroma is musky, and the flavor is earthy and nutty, stronger than the summer truffle (because these truffles have spent more time underground), but not as pungent as the winter truffle. The price is much lower than that of black summer truffles. Most of them are harvested in France and Italy. It's recommended to enjoy Burgundy truffles raw, shaved over pasta, risotto, eggs, or potato-based dishes. Just don't cook them as they do not respond well to heat.Expand

San Miniato hills are one of Europe’s most prosperous areas for the growth of white truffles, locally also known as cibo da re, meaning kings’ food. Tartufo di San Miniato (lat. Tuber magnatum) has a shiny outer layer and a pulp that ranges in color from chestnut brown to hazel. Its dimensions can vary - currently, the world’s largest white truffle, weighing in at 2,520 kg was discovered in San Miniato in 1954. Due to its strong scent and pleasant flavor reminiscent of fermented cheese, the white truffle from San Miniato is a star of Tuscan autumn. The harvest, which takes place between September and December, is regulated by a strict policy and a regional law that clearly sets the terms for both harvesting and sales. The truffle hunters must have a trained dog and a special tool called the vanghetto, used to dig up truffles. The cooking destroys much of their characteristic flavor and scent, so it is advisable to enjoy these truffles in raw form. One of the most popular local dishes is known as tagliolino al tartufo bianco delle colline Sanminiatesi, consisting of hand-made durum wheat pasta flavored with butter and freshly grated white truffles.Expand

Muscat truffle (lat. Tuber brumale vitt), also known as Trifola nera and Brumale truffle, is an Italian winter truffle that's harvested from January to March. It grows where the earth is at least a medium depth, in the hills, plains, or mountains, in symbiosis with oak, beech, hazel, and hornbeam trees. The exterior is black with low, flattened warts, while the interior is grey or brown with white veining. The aroma is pungent, but less intense than that of other black truffles. The flavor is pleasant.Expand

Nero Liscio truffle (lat. Tuber macrosporum) is a rarely found truffle that grows in the same area as the Piedmont white truffle. These truffles, however, can withstand droughts and grow several of them in the same hole. The exterior is reddish brown with warts, while the interior is whitish-brown and becomes rusty-brown when mature, between August and September. The aroma is similar to that of white truffles, but the flavor is more garlicky. These truffles grow with poplar, willow, hornbeam, and oak trees.Expand