The black truffle and the main curiosities that you didn't know

Today's topic is gastronomy! Come and learn more about what black truffles are and learn some of the main curiosities about this delicacy.

What is your first thought when you read or hear the word truffle? Like most Brazilians, you probably automatically associate it with the famous chocolate candy, which has a series of types of filling and is sold all over the country, right?

But although the name truffle has become synonymous with this popular dessert here in Brazil, there is another very different dish that is also known by the name truffle. They are black truffles.

And it is about these black truffles that we are going to talk about in today's text! Here, we will explore a little more about what this delicacy of world cuisine is and understand the main characteristics and curiosities of this ingredient that is so little known.

What is black truffle? Learn more about this delicacy

I bet you must be curious about what this ingredient is that has the same name as our beloved dessert but is so different, right? So let's go!

The black truffle we are talking about today is actually a type of underground mushroom. Known for liking to grow along tree roots, black truffles tend to like trees such as oaks, cherries and hazelnuts.

This species is native to southern Europe. This means it is very common in countries such as France, Spain and Italy, as well as other surrounding countries.

And it is no wonder that this product has such an inaccessible aura, since even in Europe – where black truffles are found – this delicacy is not the easiest to find.

Here in Brazil, this difficulty increases even more. To find black truffle to add to your recipe, you will probably have to search a lot in specialized stores.

And when you find one, you will most likely have to take the scorpion out of your pocket and invest a good amount of money to take your black truffles home.

This is because the delicacy can cost up to R$30,000 per kilo!

But despite being considered a luxury item, it is not difficult to find dishes that combine with black truffles.

There are pastas, risottos, poultry, meats, soups, broths and even pizzas with black truffles.

In other words: if you feel inspired to embrace your culinary side and want to invest in black truffle the next time you go into the kitchen, know that you won't need to think too much or invest large amounts of money to prepare the dish that will be served with the black truffle.

Check out the main curiosities about the black truffle that you didn't know

Now that you know a little more about the black truffle, come and discover some of the main curiosities about this delicacy.

The search for the perfect black truffle

As we have already mentioned in the text, one of the most striking characteristics of the black truffle is its very characteristic smell.

But despite this, we can only truly feel it when we are very close to the delicacy itself.

Therefore, it is quite common for traders responsible for selling these black truffles to use certain tricks to find out where they are. 

And for this, they usually resort to the help of animals. After all, since the black truffles are buried, these animals can smell them better and lead traders to the exact spot where these delicacies are located.

For a long time, the animals chosen for this important mission were pigs. However, as these animals are very difficult to train, they ended up eating the delicacy before their owners even had the opportunity to collect it. And this caused a series of problems between the traders and the animals.

This meant that the next animal chosen to help traders in this mission were dogs, as they are much easier to train and obey commands.

The cultivation of black truffles

After discovering that black truffles have a very high price, I bet you must be thinking of ways to grow this delicacy at home to sell and earn a little money, right?

Well, you better get your hopes up. In addition to the climate conditions here not being conducive to the development of this delicacy, it is still not possible to create an environment suitable for the cultivation of black truffles.

All the specimens found in haute cuisine and restaurants around the world are the result of wild cultivation. In other words: it is a work of nature and without human intervention – at least until the time they are harvested.

Furthermore, these black truffles are quite rare items, which makes them so expensive.

The black truffle and the chocolate truffle

Although it is almost impossible to say for sure, it is very likely that these two foods did not receive the same name by coincidence.

Despite the differences, in some points, we can see certain similarities between the two foods.

The black truffle is a food with an undefined shape and, because it is found underground, it is always covered in soil.

The chocolate truffle also has an undefined shape and may not even be covered in dirt, but is covered in cocoa, a food that has a color similar to the earth itself.

Therefore, it is not difficult to make the connection and imagine that the creators of the chocolate truffle used the black truffle as inspiration.

Conclusion

So, have you heard about black truffles and this information about this delicacy?

According to people who have tried this spice, the ingredient adds an extra touch of flavor to any dish. 

But even with this flavor, a dish with black truffle among its ingredients is something quite inaccessible. In any case, this seems to be one of those gastronomic experiences that everyone should have at least once in their life!

Did you like the content we prepared for you today? Then take the opportunity to read it too Exotic foods around the world: discover 7 recipes. Want a piece?