Edible Truffle Species

Bianchetto Truffles, tuber borchii vittadini, are similar to White Truffles. These truffles are commonly known as Whitish Truffles, Spring White Truffles, or Bianchetti Truffles. They are found throughout Italy and other parts of Europe, suggesting that cultivation is possible. Bianchetto Truffles have an excellent culinary value which has largely been undervalued until recently.

Appearance: Similar to the White Truffle, but they are darker and more brownish in color as they mature. They have rusty brown, reddish spots. The gleba is reddish brown to brown with wider white to reddish veins throughout.

Palate: Bianchetto Truffles are largely described as similar to white truffles, yet with a more pronounced garlicky flavor.

Use: Bianchetto Truffles can be shaved onto many dishes including meats, pastas, salads, soups, desserts, and much more. These truffles are not typically cooked and are consumed raw. However, some people choose to cook on low heat to subdue their strong flavor. Visit our How to Use Truffles page for more information and ideas.

Our Bianchetto Truffles are harvested by hand with the help of truffle hunting dogs. They are cleaned by hand to ensure you receive the best possible product and have a perfect experience.

Summer Black Truffles, tuber aestivum vittadini, are one of the highly-prized truffles used in cuisine around the world. Summer truffles grow mostly in the lime-rich soil of the Mediterranean region of Europe. However, they are the most common and widespread truffle throughout Europe, making them more affordable. Summer Black Truffles are harvested from mid to late May through August or September.

Appearance: Brown to black pyramidal warts on the reticulum which are larger with a less pronounced height than the Burgundy Truffle. The inside gleba is golden to light brown, typically lighter in color than the Burgundy Truffle or other black truffles, and it has white veins throughout.

Palate: Summer Black Truffles have an earthy, nutty flavor which is less intense than some of the more expensive truffles. Early in the season, they will have less odor, and as the season progresses, the aroma and flavor will become much more pronounced.

Use: Summer Black Truffles can be shaved onto many dishes including meats, pastas, salads, soups, desserts and much more, or they can be cooked on low temperatures with butter, oil, or in sauces. Visit our How to Use Truffles page for more information and ideas.

Our Summer Black Truffles are harvested by hand with the help of truffle hunting dogs. They are cleaned by hand to ensure you receive the best possible product and have a perfect experience.

Burgundy Truffles, tuber uncinatum chatin or Autumn Black Truffles, are one of the highly-prized truffles used in cuisine around the world. Burgundy Truffles grow mostly in the lime-rich soil of the Mediterranean region of Europe, and they are so scientifically similar to Summer Black Truffles that some argue they should be the same species (tuber aestivum). Burgundy Truffles are harvested from September to December and sometimes into January. Although similar to Summer Black Truffles, they command a higher price point due to their stronger aroma and flavor.

Appearance: Brown to black pyramidal warts on the reticulum which are smaller and more pronounced in height than the Summer Black Truffle. The inside gleba is brown and darker in color than the Summer Black Truffle with thin white veins throughout.

Palate: Burgundy Truffles have an earthy, hazelnut flavor which is more intense than that of the Summer Black Truffles.

Use: Burgundy Truffles can be shaved onto many dishes including meats, pastas, salads, soups, desserts, and much more, or they can be cooked on low temperatures with butter, oil, or in sauces. Visit our How to Use Truffles page for more information and ideas.

Our Burgundy Truffles are harvested by hand with the help of truffle hunting dogs. They are cleaned by hand to ensure you receive the best possible product and have a perfect experience.

White Truffles, tuber magnatum pico, are the most expensive truffle in the world. Other common names include Italian White Truffles or Alba White Truffles, which refers to the town of Alba where these truffles can be found, or they can sometimes be referred to as Winter White Truffles. These grow naturally in Italy, and they have been found in other countries bordering the Adriatic Sea. These can sell for as much as $4,500 per pound. In 2010, a Macau billionaire paid more than $417,000 for 2 truffles weighing roughly 2.87 pounds (1.3 kilograms). Three years earlier he paid $330,000 for a single truffle weighing 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms).

Appearance: These range in color from a pale yellow to brown and even greenish color, and they tend to have brownish, rusty color spots. The inside gleba ranges from a pale yellow to hazel or brown in color and has fine white veins throughout.

Palate: These truffles have a very pronounced flavor often described as garlicky with hints of fermented cheese and a methane aroma. The aroma is strong, pronounced, and musky.

Use: White Truffles can be shaved onto many dishes including meats, pastas, salads, soups, desserts, and much more. These truffles should never be cooked and should only be consumed raw. If cooked, they will lose their aroma and flavor. When these truffles are preserved their aroma is inferior to when they are fresh. Visit our How to Use Truffles page for more information and ideas.

Our White Truffles are harvested by hand with the help of truffle hunting dogs. They are cleaned by hand to ensure you receive the best possible product and have a perfect experience.

Winter Black Truffles, tuber melanosporum vittadini, are the most revered black truffles.  Known to many as the Périgord Black Truffle named after the Périgord region of France. These truffles are native to Spain, France, and Italy. More recently, they have become available in Australia and New Zealand with a June to August season, correlating to the southern hemisphere winter season.

Appearance: Reddish brown to black with polygonal warts on the reticulum. The inside gleba is dark purplish black to black in color with thin whitish veins that can turn pinkish to brown with maturity.

Palate: Winter Black Truffles have an earthy, nutty flavor with hints of sweetness. These have a robust aroma more than any of the other black truffles.

Use: Winter Black Truffles can be shaved onto many dishes including meats, pastas, salads, soups, desserts, and much more, or they can be cooked on low temperatures with butter, oil, or in sauces. Visit our How to Use Truffles page for more information and ideas.

Our Winter Black Truffles are harvested by hand with the help of truffle hunting dogs. They are cleaned by hand to ensure you receive the best possible product and have a perfect experience.

Dessert Truffles, terfezia, tirmania, kalaharituber, and more, can be found throughout parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Africa. There are numerous edible species of desert truffles which remain popular as a food source, but popularity in Europe is much less. In many old writings or recordings about truffles, it is thought that desert truffles were the source of reference.

Desert Truffles, depending on species, are largely available from March through May. However, other species can be available outside of that time frame, typically in mid to late Winter.

Desert Truffles play an important role as these are thought to be some of the first truffles used as food source both for survival and for noble people. They have long been used for their medicinal purposes.

We currently do not import or sell Dessert Truffles.

Asian Truffles, more commonly known as Chinese Truffles, have numerous species. Tuber indicum is the most common, and they are often mixed with tuber himalayense and other species of truffles. Chinese truffles, especially the tuber himalayense species, resemble Winter Black Truffles or Black Perigord Truffles, with dark brown to black pyramidal warts on the reticulum and a dark purplish-black gleba with thin white veins. Chinese Truffles can have a smoother, less pronounced reticulum. 

Chinese Truffles are thought to have been used for hundreds of years, yet they gained popularity on the world stage in the early to mid 90's as European countries imported tons of truffles each year. These truffles are far from the quality of the truffles that grow around the Mediterranean region of Europe, and their smell and aroma are inferior to the Winter Black Truffle and other prized truffles. These truffles have a very low culinary value.

Unfortunately, this group or these species of truffles are many times passed off as Winter Black Truffles. People go to great lengths of adding truffle aroma to them to disguise their true identity. In Italy, it is illegal to sell Chinese Truffles, even if they are branded and labeled properly. It was once reported that Italian officials found over 40 tons of Chinese Truffles mislabeled in a warehouse of one of the world's largest truffle suppliers. In France, it is illegal to pass off Chinese Truffles as something they are not. Despite measures by these governments to protect their native products, they still make their way into these countries as the profit margin is so large.

Chinese Truffles do have a place in the truffle market as they are the most affordable truffle, selling for $20 USD or less per pound. Due to their low price, companies use these for "show" in their truffle products and disguise them with chemicals that give off truffle aroma. Some chefs use these truffles in their restaurants, as it's low cost way to provide some allure to dishes. Either way, it is important that you know and trust where your truffles are coming from.