truffle

1. Any of various fleshy, ascomycetous, edible fungi, chiefly of the genus Tuber, that grow underground on or near the roots of trees and are valued as a delicacy.
2. Any of various chocolate confections, especially one made of a mixture including chopped nuts, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.

[Alteration of French trufe, from Old French, from Old Provençal trufa, from Vulgar Latin *tūfera, truffles, from dialectal variant of Latin tūber, lump.]

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English truffle (Tuber aestivum). (credit: S.C. Porter/Bruce Coleman Inc.)

Edible underground fungus in the genus Tuber (order Pezizales, phylum Ascomycota) that has been prized as a food delicacy since antiquity. Native mainly to temperate regions, truffles flourish in open woodlands on calcium-rich soil. The different species range from pea-sized to orange-sized. Truffles usually are associated with tree roots and are found up to about 1 ft (30 cm) below the soil surface. Experienced gatherers occasionally detect mature truffles by scent or by the morning and evening presence of hovering columns of small yellow flies but more often with the help of trained pigs or dogs. The truffle is important in French cookery, and truffle gathering is an important industry in France. Truffles are among the most highly valued foods in the world. False truffles (genus Rhizopogon, order Boletales, phylum Basidiomycota) form small, underground, potato-like structures under coniferous trees in parts of North America.

For more information on truffle, visit Britannica.com.

1. Edible fungi growing underground, associated with roots of oak trees; very highly prized for their aroma and flavour. Most highly prized is the French black or Perigord truffle, Tuber melanosporum, added to pâté de foie gras. Others include: white Piedmontese truffle, T. magnatum; summer truffle; T. aestivum, and violet truffle, T. brumale; see also mushrooms.

2. Chocolate truffles, a mixture of chocolate, sugar, cream, and often rum, covered with chocolate strands or cocoa powder.

[TRUHF-uhl; TROO-fuhl] It's hard to believe that one of the rarest and most expensive foods in the world is located by pigs and dogs. This exceptional fungus grows 3 to 12 inches underground near the roots of trees (usually oak but also chestnut, hazel and beech), never beyond the range of the branches. The difficult-to-find truffle is routed out by animals that have been specially trained for several years. Pigs have keener noses, but dogs are less inclined to gobble up the prize. Once the truffle is found, the farmer (trufficulteur) scrapes back the earth, being careful not to touch the truffle with his hands (which will cause the fungus to rot). If the truffle isn't ripe, it's carefully reburied for future harvesting. This methodically slow and labor-intensive harvesting method is what makes truffles so extremely expensive. Truffles have been prized by gourmets for centuries and were credited by the ancient Greeks and Romans with both therapeutic and aphrodisiac powers. A truffle has a rather unappealing appearance-round and irregularly shaped with a thick, rough, wrinkled skin that varies in color from almost black to off-white. Of the almost 70 known varieties, the most desirable is the black truffle, also known as black diamond, of France's Périgord and Quercy regions and the Umbria region of Italy. Its extremely pungent flesh is black (really very dark brown) with white striations. The next most popular is the white truffle (actually off-white or beige) of Italy's Piedmont region, with its earthy, garlicky aroma and flavor. Fresh imported truffles are available from late fall to midwinter in specialty markets. Choose firm, well-shaped truffles with no sign of blemishes. Truffles should be used as soon as possible after purchase but can be stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To take full advantage of their perfumy fragrance, bury them in a container of rice or whole eggs and cover tightly before refrigerating. The scent will permeate whatever truffles are stored with, giving the cook a flavor bonus. Brush any surface dust off the truffle and peel the dark species (saving the peelings for soups). White truffles need not be peeled. Canned truffles, truffle paste in a tube and, to a limited extent, frozen truffles are also found in specialty stores. Dark truffles are generally used to flavor foods such as omelets, polentas, risottos and sauces, like the famous périgueux. The more mildly flavored white truffles are usually served raw by grating them over foods such as pasta or cheese dishes. They're also added at the last minute to cooked dishes. A special implement called a truffle slicer can be used to shave off paper-thin slivers and slices of truffle. Dishes flavored or garnished with truffles are often referred to as à la périgourdine. See also chocolate truffle.

Truffle or Truffles may refer to:

• Truffle (fungi), edible body of a group of fungi in the genus Tuber
• Various kinds of hypogeous fungi other than that mentioned above, including Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, Glomeromycetes and Zygomycetes
• Chocolate truffle, a chocolate confection
• The wife of Mung Daal on the cartoon series Chowder
• Truffles, a minor character in the Peanuts comic strip

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - trøffel

Nederlands (Dutch)
truffel (bonbon), truffel (paddestoel)

Français (French)
n. - truffe

Deutsch (German)
n. - Trüffel

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ., ζαχαρ.) τρούφα

Italiano (Italian)
tartufo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - trufa (f), túbera (f)

Русский (Russian)
трюфель, шоколадная конфета

Español (Spanish)
n. - trufa

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tryffel (kok.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
块菌, 松露

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 塊菌, 松露

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 송로의 일종(조미료), 트뤼프(초코릿 과자의 일종)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - フランスショウロ, トリュフ, トラッフル

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) فطريات‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ממתק שוקולד מצופה בקוקוס, כמהה (פטרייה), שמרקע - סוג פטריות-מאכל תת-קרקעיות‬

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