The secrets of truffles: how to recognize a quality product 🍄✨

Truffles are a treasure of nature, but not everyone knows how to distinguish an authentic product from a poor quality one. Here's what you need to know:

1. Origin is everything

• Fresh truffle:

  • Fine white (Tuber magnatum): it has an intense and unmistakable aroma that recalls garlic, cheese, mushrooms

  • Precious black (Tuber melanosporum): has an earthy and fruity aroma

2. Looks don't lie

• Fresh truffle:

  • the surface is irregular and hard, without dents or soft parts

  • the colour is uniform: creamy white for the white truffle, black with veins for the black one
    

3. Perfume is the identity card

• a quality truffle gives off an aroma intense and complex already a few centimetres away

• If you only smell a faint or "chemical" odor, it may be treated or old.

4. Seasonality and freshness

• White truffle: from October to December

• Black truffle: from October to March

• Out of season? Be careful: it could be frozen or low quality

5. Price: If it's too cheap, there's a scam

• The real truffle costs:

  • Fine white: from €3,000 to €5,000 per kg (depends on the year and size)

  • Premium black: from €800 to €1,500 per kg
    

6. Storage and use

• Fresh truffle: wrapped in absorbent paper, in a glass jar in the fridge it lasts a maximum of 5-7 days

• Chef's advice: grate it raw on simple dishes (risotto, eggs, pasta) to enhance its aroma.

How to avoid scams 🚫

• Be wary of anyone selling "Chinese truffles" (Tuber indicum) passed off as Italian: they have a weaker aroma and a very low price.

In summary:

"A quality truffle can be recognized by its captivating smell, its firm consistency and its provenance. Whether fresh or creamed, don't settle for less!"