The truffle is a hypogeous mushroom, found buried near the roots of certain types of trees typical of the Umbrian territory, particularly oaks, hazelnuts, hornbeams, holm oaks, beeches, poplars, and limes. It propagates through the production of spores, and only when these are perfectly mature does it begin to emit the strong aromatic scent that characterizes it. It is at this stage that the truffle hunters, with the help of their dogs, harvest it.
The prized Umbrian Black Truffle, also known as the Truffle of Norcia and Spoleto (Tuber melanosporum Vittadini), is the most widespread variety in Umbria. It matures from mid-November to mid-March and is harvested from early December to mid-March. It is mainly collected in high hill and mountain forests and prefers calcareous and clayey soils. It is roundish, with an irregular and rough surface to the touch, and is characterized by a strong aromatic scent with reddish-black flesh streaked with thin white veins.
The less prized variety, scorzone, is distinguished into summer scorzone (Tuber aestivum) or autumn scorzone (Tuber uncinatum); its smell is slightly aromatic but much less intense than the black truffle. It grows in sandy and clayey soils, deciduous forests, and sometimes even in pine forests. The harvesting period is from May to December.
Each truffle is influenced by the plants with which it lives in symbiosis and by the particularities of the soil in which it was born and matured, which determine its aroma and flavor nuances. Moreover, the intensity and delicacy vary depending on the season and the stage of maturation at which they are harvested. Its use in cooking is therefore calibrated based on the characteristics of the individual truffle.
The truffle is used in the preparation of many dishes, pairing well with eggs, pasta, risottos, meat, fish, and vegetables. In Spoleto, the classic pairing is with strangozzi or scrambled eggs, but it is also used in the preparation of meat and fish dishes.
To get to know the world of truffles up close, it is possible to participate in ‘truffle hunts,’ walks in the woods accompanied by dogs specially trained for the search, usually followed by tastings of truffle-based preparations, with explanations of the characteristics and curiosities about truffles and their search.
