Tuber melanosporum: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide

About The Tuber melanosporum Mushroom

The Tuber melanosporum also is known as the Périgord Truffle or Black Truffle. This black mushroom has dark, robustly-veined flesh and the strongest flavor and aroma of all the black truffles.

Truffles are actually the underground fruiting bodies of the species, which have a round shape. There are numerous varieties in size and color, usually, they are black but the color can also be brown, yellow or white. Their skin can be smooth or covered by small warts.

Black truffles can be found during the winter months in France, Italy, Spain and small quantities in Slovenia and Croatia. During winter in Australia, cultivated truffles are available from specialized farms.

Truffle mushrooms need the right tree roots to grow, a little rain and perfect temperature. Truffle Mushrooms are generally round-shaped mushrooms, which can range from walnut size to human fist size.

Tuber melanosporum is used in the most exclusive dishes in French and Italian cuisine. The flavor can be deeper and aromatic depending on the season and the place where it grew. In order to enjoy the extraordinary taste of truffle mushrooms, it is necessary to eat fresh and uncooked shortly after harvesting.

Tuber melanosporum Identification

1. Fruitbody

   There is no point in trying to describe the shape of a truffle: they are the ultimate in shapelessness.

   Blobs, sometimes more or less spherical but quite often multi-lobed, the outer surface of a Périgord Black Truffle is dark brown to black, covered in small crazed polygonal sections with shallow rivers between them - not unlike limestone pavement, but less regular in size and not aligned in any systematic way.

2. Spores

   Ellipsoidal, 29 – 55 x 2 2– 35µm; covered in spines 2 - 4µm long, spore mas from the light brown to mid-brown.

3. Season

   Late summer, autumn and, in the far south of Europe, all through the winter.

Tuber melanosporum Habitat

Truffles are grown the wild close to oak, poplar, hazelnut, elm, pecans and beech trees. Mature truffles develop odors and emit volatile organic compounds and pheromones that attract wild animals. Truffle hunters search for them from autumn to winter with the help of trained dogs in these wooded forests.

Some truffle enthusiasts may resort to the raking method to unearth prized truffles. However, this method can damage the mature truffles, inflicting cut injuries on them and decrease their market value. Also, raking dislodges other unripe truffles from the support network with their host trees, and thus ending their maturation process.

The species has a very unusual propagation method, since it relies on spores released from flasks, even if they are located underground where this cannot work. In reality, they rely on animals that dig and consume the fruiting bodies. The spores are specially built for this purpose and remain viable even after they pass through the entire digestive system of an animal. After excretion, they will try to link with the root system of a compatible tree and start a fully functional new mycelium.

This strange propagation cycle explains the unique taste and aroma of truffles. While humans can usually only detect the smell if a fruiting body is sliced, animals like pigs or dogs have much stronger senses and can smell truffles located deep underground. As a result, people who gather truffles employ dogs or pigs in order to find them.

Their fruiting bodies grow underground at various depths; some are shallow while others can be located very deep. They have a rounded shape, sometimes lobed, and the color ranges from yellow to black. The flesh can be marble white or even fully black, several narrow veins start from the base in a radial pattern. At maturity, truffles develop a very strong and complex smell.

As underground mushrooms, black truffles can't be detected by people who walk in the woods. They can be located anywhere in forests, there are no clear patterns and the exact place must be discovered using trained animals. The demand for truffles will always be much greater than the supply, so they are extremely expensive.

Tuber melanosporum Selection and storage

Fresh truffles are usually sold in the areas from which they are harvested. Choose firm, fleshly truffles, without bruises.

In the markets, one can choose dried truffles in airtight containers. Other novelty products such as truffle flavored sugar, salt, truffle honey, truffle oil, etc can also be found in the supermarkets. Truffles canned in water are also available in some stores.

Eat them as soon as possible. To store, place them in the fridge fresh up to 1 week. Place cut truffles in an airtight container and cover them with Madeira or white wine. Canned truffles that are cut and covered with Madeira or a little oil for a month.

Once at home, use them early. Place them in a cool dry place in a wooden basket away from sunlight and moisture. Keep in the fridge for a few days, in a paper bag or a dish covered with a clean cloth. Store dried boletus (porcini) in a container and place in cold, dry, and dehumidified place.

Tuber melanosporum Taxonomy

When in 1831 Italian mycologist Carlo Vittadini (1800 - 1865) described the Périgord Truffle he gave it the scientific binomial name Tuber melanosporum, and that is still its generally-accepted scientific name.

Synonyms of Tuber melanosporum include Tuber brumale P Micheli, Tuber gulosorum (Scop.) Pico, Tuber nigrum Bull., Tuber cibarium Pers., Tuber cibarium (Bull.) Fr., and Tuber gulonum (Corda) Paoletti.

Tuber melanosporum Etymology

Tuber, the generic name, comes directly from the Latin word tuber, meaning a lump or swelling. The specific epithet melanosporum means 'with black spores'.

Tuber melanosporum Health Benefits

1. Truffle perhaps nutritionally unimportant mushrooms for they used in very limited amounts as food.

2. Nonetheless, this flavorful forest mushroom adds distinctive sensory qualities to the food, and thus, contributes to the enrichment of its nutritional value.

3. Truffle's aroma comes from certain volatile organic compounds (VOC's) like aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, sulphur compounds, and terpenes.

4. Some of the organic aromatic compounds are methy propanol, methylbutanal acetaldehyde, butanedione (buttery), and bis-(methylthio) methane (garlic-like) which give truffle .

5. Black truffles were described in traditional medicines to be an aphrodisiac.

6. Truffles also contain good amounts of easily digestible natural proteins.

7. They add some minerals and vitamins, albeit in minute quantities to the food.

Tuber melanosporum Taste

Some may describe the taste of black truffles as a mixture of chocolaty, nutty and earthy and others may describe it as having a subtle woody flavor mixed with a slight mushroom taste.

The region where the truffle is harvested from plays a large role in the taste. White truffles carry a slightly different taste and aroma. They are often described as having a slightly garlicky flavor similar to shallots with a deep musky aroma.

The pungent aroma and subtle flavor can turn any traditional dish into a gourmet taste experience. As said before, truffles have the unique ability to enhance savory and even sweet dishes to gourmet status.

Recipe: Black Truffle Butter

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2. 2 teaspoons truffle pate, with as little oil as possible

3. 1/2 -1 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mash together butter and truffle pate with a fork.

2. Slowly add salt, taste testing along the way to determine if more is needed.

3. Allow sitting at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to allow butter to absorb flavors.

4. Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Recipe: Black Truffle Stuffed Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1. 1 small chicken - about 1.2kg/2.6lb

2. black truffle (see notes for weights)

3. 50 g (1/2 stick) butter

4. 2 sprigs rosemary

5. 1 tbsp olive oil

6. salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 230ºC/Gas Mark 8/450ºF

2. Remove the chicken from the fridge and remove all the packaging. Pat the skin dry and set aside for 15 minutes.

3. Take a sharpe knife and cut 3 deep slashes into the drumstick and lower chicken thighs.

4. Carefully work your fingers between the skin and the breasts of the chicken, to create a pocket under the skin.

5. Use a truffle shaver (or very thin micro cutter) to shave thin slivers off the truffle.

6. Push the truffle slices up under the skin until you have a nice thin layer. Any remaining truffle can be pushed into the slashes in the thigh meat.

7. Softly squeeze the butter between your fingers (This helps to make it pliable) and then push it inside the skin on top of the truffle. (See notes)

8. Lay the rosemary on the bottom of a roasting tin and then place the chicken on top.

9. Massage the skin with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

10. Place in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. (Don't open the door during the cooking time. Set your timer and don't peek.)

Recipe: Simple pasta with black truffle

Ingredients

1. Linguine – 500 g

2. Parmesan cheese – 100 g

3. Butter – 150 g

4. Fresh black truffle – 60 g

5. Salt

6. Pepper

Instructions

1. Grate cheese. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions.

2. Melt butter in a large sauté pan.

3. Reserve some of the pasta water before straining.

4. Add cooked pasta to sauté pan and toss to coat with butter.

5. Add grated cheese and some pasta water to loosen the mixture to desired consistency and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Thinly shave black truffle over each bowl at the table. Enjoy!

Recipe: Tagliatelle with Black Truffle Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1. 1 (1-oz.) black truffle

2. 3 cups heavy cream

3. 8 tbsp. unsalted butter

4. 4 oz. chanterelle mushrooms halved

5. 3 cloves garlic, minced

6. 1 cup dry white wine

7. 1 tsp. minced thyme

8. 1 lb. dried tagliatelle

9. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

10. 1⁄3 cup grated parmesan

11. 1⁄4 tsp. dried lavender

12. 3 oz. watercress, trimmed

13. Grated Pecorino Romano, for garnish

Instructions

1. Mince one-third of truffle; stir into cream. Cover and chill 6 hours.

2. Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium-high.

3. Cook mushrooms and garlic until golden, 6-8 minutes.

4. Add wine and thyme; cook 8 minutes.

5. Add reserved truffle cream; simmer until thickened, 10-12 minutes.

6. Cook tagliatelle in salted boiling water until al dente, about 7 minutes.

7. Drain pasta; add to skillet.

8. Add parmesan, lavender, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.

9. Garnish with watercress and Pecorino Romano; shave remaining truffle over the top.

Recipe: Artichoke and Black Truffle Dip Recipe

Ingredients

1. 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts

2. 8 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

3. 1 large shallot, finely chopped

4. 1/4 tablespoon salt

5. 1 tablespoon olive oil

6. 3 tablespoons black truffle paste

7. 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Saute shallots in olive oil until soft. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.

3. Add cream cheese, artichoke hearts, truffle paste, and salt. Keep mix refrigerated until an hour before serving. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead.)

4. Transfer mixture to glass baking bowl. Sprinkle parmesan and bake for 40 minutes or the internal temperature of 160°.

5. Serve with homemade flatbread sprinkled with Mediterranean herbs. Cut into triangles and top with dip.