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| TRUFFLES |
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| WHAT ARE THEM? |
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Truffles belong to the fungi (mushroom) family; they grow entirely underground in symbiosis with the roots of certain trees and shrubs, particularly oak, hazel and poplar. In return for nutrition, the truffles give water and salts back to their host plants.
Each truffle has an external surface called a ‘peridio’ or ‘scorza’ that can be rough or smooth, depending on the specific type and the ground in which it grows. The interior, or ‘glebe’ is more fleshy, with a range of colours from pink to grey, and from white to brown; very often a vein-like pattern is present.
The quality that makes truffles unique is their penetrating fragrance, which develops upon maturation. This aroma is designed to attract wild animals such as boars or pigs, which then root amongst the truffles and carry their spores to other sites for renewed growth. |
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