About three hours drive northeast of Rome is the village of Acqualagna in the region of Marche. It is known as the truffle capital of Italy and hosts three truffle fairs annually including the National White Truffle Fair in late October through early November. Here the convergence of truffle hunters, purveyors and connoisseurs come together to admire, acquire and get inspired by this diamond of the kitchen.
One can taste dishes prepared with fresh truffles including this Parmesan and white truffle cream that covered the taste buds with the nutty taste of fresh Parmesan combined with the exotic indulgent flavors of fresh white truffles.
The white truffle, or tuber magnatum looks like a knobby potato but is extremely rare and to date, cannot be cultivated. They are uncovered by truffle hunters and their trained dogs. A good truffle dog can smell an underground truffle as deep as a foot below the earth’s surface. The truffle hunter must work carefully to unearth the truffle, reward the dog for its accurate sense of smell and then get the truffle to market as quickly as possible. The moment the truffle is unearthed, the clock of deterioration begins to tick. For each day that the truffle is out of the ground it begins to loose it’s intoxicating aroma and flavor. It is that smell which has been described by food writers as a blend of garlic and cheese and by others as sheer sexiness. When served it can fill a dining room with a mouth - watering, aroma.
Buying a fresh truffle requires keen observation. The larger the truffle, the higher the price, even though the size does not affect the aroma or flavor. Rounder truffles takes longer to lose weight from evaporation than those with a greater surface area. A white truffle loses about 10 percent of its weight in 24 hours. Black ones last longer. Browning spots on white truffles indicate deterioration and age. Some less than scrupulous truffle hunters may even pack the crevices of the truffle with dirt which will add weight but has to be removed before eating. In this case its important to brush off the soil before buying them (but not get them wet). Truffles are best stored in the crisper section of the refrigerator wrapped in a paper town and then placed in a air tight container.
Just before eating, the truffle should be washed and brushed from soil and then dried with a paper towel
Truffles are displayed in glass display cases, acrylic boxes and even in wine glasses. A large knobby white truffle weighing 233 grams was priced at 930 euros. Generally in Acqualagna, in 2019, white truffles were selling for about 2100 euros a kilo. The Burgundy black truffles were 400 euros a kilo. This one had a premium price because of its large size.
The Burgundy black truffle, tuber uncinatum, is considered very good, especially shaved over pastas or into a sauce. The hazelnut aroma and more earthy taste adds a mysterious and luxurious accent to a dish. Not as prized as the Tuber Melanosporium which has a season running from late November to March. The Tuber Melanosporum is considered the other diamond of the kitchen.
A couple of small black truffles can cost as little as 3 euros each and eaten raw and fresh are a way to taste the robust flavors of these amazing underground mushrooms.
Urbani Truffles, the renown distributors of truffles and today run by the 6th generation since the founder Constantino Urbani dedicated his life to truffles in the 1850s, offers a vast selection of fresh truffles and truffle products. At Acqualagna, huge white truffles abound at Urbani including one mega truffle that brought a smile to all that sniffed it. It was considered priceless.
An essential tool for the truffle is the truffle slicer which are available in utilitarian metal or in the more elegant wooden model. These slicers use a razor type blade that can be adjusted to produce paper-thin slices of truffle. This maximizes the aromatic qualities of the truffle and help to cover a dish with the precious ingredient. Some stands offered truffled dishes with pasta, rissotto or even fried eggs.
Are truffles an aphrodisiac? Savoring them in Acqualagna in their freshest state, here in the Italian countryside, with a glass of fine Italian wine and sliced atop pasta, risotto, fonduta or some other delicious dish … well…as Brillant Savarin said, it tends to makes women more tender and men more likeable.
For more information about Acqualagna and the truffle fair please read: Champagne & Caviar A Connoisseur's Survival Guide by Arthur von Wiesenberger
0 Comments