Fresh Black Winter Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum)
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Known as the Perigord truffle, the black winter truffle has dark, robustly-veined flesh and the strongest flavor and aroma of all the black truffles. Black truffles can be found during the winter months in France, Italy, and Spain.
Remarkably, even miraculously, the black winter truffle has finally been cultivated in the Southern Hemisphere. Truffières in Australia were planted with thousands of oak and hazelnut trees that were inoculated with truffle spores. Years of patience have been rewarded; they are now producing truffles in their winter season, which is June through August.
With its specific climate, acidic soil, cool winters, and warm summers, Australia offers conditions ideal for truffles. This works out well for all the truffle devotees, who can enjoy the unmatched flavor of the winter truffle for another three months each year.
We are pleased to offer you the best of black winter truffles, whether they are of European or Australian origin so that you can enjoy the ultimate culinary luxury, now for an extended season.
Please note: Because truffles are natural products foraged in the earth, quality, and flavor will vary. We select truffles with great care based on visual and olfactory inspection, but cannot taste each truffle. Please see the cooking and serving tab for tips on proper truffle storage.
- Fresh black winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum)
- Sold as whole, intact pieces of approximately 1 oz. in weight
- Cultivated on the roots of oak and hazelnut trees in Australia
- For best taste, store in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days of receipt
Storing/Serving Tips: Once a fresh truffle is out of the ground, it doesn't keep long. To best preserve your truffle, wrap it in a paper towel, put in an airtight plastic container and set in the refrigerator. Do not clean the truffle until you are ready to use it. To clean it, gently remove any dirt that remains with a soft brush, then use the tip of a paring knife to loosen any pockets of dirt in the crevices, then lightly brush again.
Avoid condensation and humidity. If you wish, store the truffle with eggs in the refrigerator to impart its flavor into the eggs. Be sure the shells are perfectly dry. Do not store in dry rice, as the rice dehydrates the truffle.
Black winter truffles are intense and are best when cooked so their flavor is released. This is the truffle to shave paper thin and stuff under the skin of a capon, turkey, duck or pheasant before roasting. Foie gras terrines often feature layers of black truffle slices, for the ultimate flavor combination. As with any truffle, natural pairings include omelets, pasta, polentas, potatoes, and risottos. Infuse wine or Armagnac sauces with the earthiness of the black truffle by grating a small amount into the sauce toward the end of cooking.
D'Artagnan offers a variety of wild and cultivated fresh mushrooms and truffles year round. For wild mushrooms, we partner with foragers and follow the seasons around the world. In addition, expert cultivators grow organic mushrooms for us in pristine and optimal conditions. We also preserve the flavors of the season with our dried mushroom offerings.
Our truffles are foraged seasonally in France and Italy, and when those are done we source farmed truffles from Australia, which lengthens the season for these fragrant delicacies.
