What to do with truffles?

[Clark Addison]

Are they white truffles (Tuber magnatum) or black truffles (Tuber melanosporum) or some other kind?

Probably not black, as they are about $650 an ounce. I've only had shavings of black truffles once at the Four Seasons Aviara. Usually the truffles are used to infuse high quality cooking oil, which then is used to impart a truffle taste.

I came home and looked, they are neither of these. They are "Tuber Aestivum". Have I been stuck with sub-standard truffles? Instead of sashimi-quality yellow-fin, do I have the equivelent of Charlie the Tuna? Is it fit for nothing more than dicing and putting on top of my frozen pizza?

I like the risotto idea.

[Katy Lied]

On a related note, the Wii Iron Chef game, to use the technical term, sucks ass.

I dont believe you're allowed to use that term without LandPoke's permission. Plus, you have to cite him as well.

[Katy Lied]

I came home and looked, they are neither of these. They are "Tuber Aestivum". Have I been stuck with sub-standard truffles?

You've got a nice little tuber there. Not the king of the truffle world, which is the Perigord Melanosporum, but a tidy little flavor packet.


From Wiki:

The Black Summer Truffle (Tuber aestivum/unicinatum) thrives in northern Italy, central Europe and the UK but also grows in Turkey and North Africa. It is highly valued for its culinary uses and costs up to $1,500 per kilogram ($670 per pound). Summer truffles do not have as strong an aroma or taste as winter truffles do. They are mainly harvested from June to November . .[7]

Wiki also tells us there is "a compound within the truffle similar to androstenol, the sex pheromone of boar saliva, to which the sow is keenly attracted."

Let us know how it goes.

[landpoke]

I dont believe you're allowed to use that term without LandPoke's permission. Plus, you have to cite him as well.

It's public domain, but I do appreciate a cite. It's just common courtesy.