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What are truffles?

	White Truffles

The truffle is a mushroom that grows underground, is tuber shaped and consists of a meaty part called "gleba", wrapped into a sort of bark called "peridio". Truffles classified into different varieties:

• Magnatum Pico (A.K.A. "white truffle")
• Melanosporum Vit (A.K.A. "black truffle")
• Albidum (A.K.A. "bianchetto", or "little white")
• Aestivum (A.K.A. "scorzone", or "big bark")
• Brumale (A.K.A. "winter truffle").

Where do truffles grow?

Truffles are composed of mostly water and minerals absorbed from the ground via the roots of trees with which they lives in symbiosis. In fact, they grow mainly near the roots of poplars, lime, pine, hazelnut, oak and willow trees and are a kind of parasite of the host organism.

The color nuances, flavor and perfume of the truffle depend on the kind of host tree. For instance, truffles grown near oak trees, will have a stronger perfume compared to those grown in the proximity of lime trees, which will be lighter in color and more aromatic, while those grown near pine trees will have a garlicky flavor. On the other hand, the shape depends on the characteristics of the soil. If the dirt is soft the truffle will be smooth, while in hard soil the truffle will become knotty and uneven because of the hardship it has to overcome during its development.

What is the nutritional value of truffles?

The truffle is appreciated mostly for its characteristic aroma and, like other mushrooms, has little nutritional value.

The main components of the truffle are proteins, fat, carbohydrates, water and ashes in quantities comparable to those of regular mushrooms. The nutritional values are modest even if assumed in large quantities because of the high percentage of water content, which ranges from 75% to 90%, as well as for the presence of molecules that are not digestible by the human organism. Conversely the cost of a diet based on truffles would be extremely high.

That said, the truffle contains high quality proteins which make it a viable food for people of all ages and body weight.

Since the truffle grows underground, how is it found?

A specially trained person, called a tartufaio, or "truffle finder", with the aid of a trained dog, personal experience and some luck, hunts for the precious tuber. To perform this function legally, the tartufaio must register with the overseeing authority and carry a specific photo I. D. which authorizes him or her to hunt for truffles in most places.

	Tartufaio

The tartufaio must adhere to an established environmental code and respect other people's property. Once the tartufaio finds the truffle growing area, he or she digs and carefully harvests the product. When finished, it is extremely important that the removed dirt be put back in place so that the truffle can grow back in about one year. Hunting for truffles is absolutely forbidden for a period of seven to eight months after the harvest, usually done around the end of September, since in that period the so-called fioroni (big flowers), are developing and will become ripe truffles in due time. All these steps are a given to any expert tartufaio.

Is there a particular kind of dog to use to find truffles?

The only breed of dog that is officially recognized as specialized in truffle hunting is the Lagotto Romagnolo. This is an ancient canine breed that was already known in the Comacchio area in the 16th century. By the 19th century this kind of dog was common in all the Romagna part of the Emilia Romagna region.

	Lagotto Romagnolo

The Lagotto is a rustic, strong and well proportioned dog kind characterized by intelligent and lively expressions and demeanor. This variety of dog is used to find every kind of truffle. In the end though, the dog variety is not a must, since virtually any breed of dog can be trained to become a truffle sniffer.

The best truffle sniffer in the animal kingdom however, would be the pig, but unfortunately it cannot be trained, though some truffle finders do use young pigs. The advantage of using trained dogs is that, since canines dig with their paws, they can be stopped before they eat the truffles, while the pig, which digs directly with its nose and teeth, eats the precious treasure as soon as it uncovers it.

Recently, the growing population of wild boars in the Apennines has gradually become a serious problem, as these animals are able to find, eat and destroy entire truffle growing areas.

How are the truffles used?

The truffle is at its best when used raw. In fact, when cooked it loses both perfume and flavor. There exists, too, truffle essences for sale, but they are essentially chemical products created in laboratories. The perfume of the truffle is much more intense than its flavor.

• Fried egg with shaved truffles
• Tagliatelle pasta with shaved truffles
• Risotto (in order to prepare this recipe the rice is sealed for a few days in a glass vase with a piece of truffle.
• When added to meat dishes, sometime the truffle is inserted inside the meat or wrapped in it.
• Traditionally, in the Bolognese area the truffle was added to meat ragout (Salsa Vecchia Bologna, or "Old Bologna Sauce").
• As desserts go, truffles are sometimes used grated with ice cream, but this preparation is extremely expensive.

What exactly are mushrooms and where do they grow?

Though mushrooms have no leaves, stems, flowers or roots, they belong to the vegetable kingdom. High temperatures and humidity represent the favorable climate for mushroom growth, while hot dry weather, wind, and cold represent obstacles.

Along with bacteria, mushrooms are the natural processors of organic leftovers generated by biological cycles. Without them the earth would become a huge garbage dump, precluding virtually all forms of life.

How many types of mushrooms exist?

It is not known how many types of mushrooms exist in nature, as all mycological censuses are approximate. The Italian mycological flora alone count over 3,000 varieties, of which only about 30 are poisonous, including fewer than 10 that are deadly.

There are about 10 of the most prized kind of mushrooms. The other varieties are either considered of a lower value or non-comestible because they are woody or have a bad smell and/or flavor. Still others are not well known, thus looked upon with suspicion. These data are not, however, definitive and vary from report to report.

Could you list common Emilia Romagna varieties for us?

• Porcini

• 	Porcini Mushrooms

  Ovuli (these are very dangerous as the edible variety is very similar to the poisonous one and can be easily mistaken)
• Prataioli
• Spugnole
• Chiodini
• Finferli
• Prugnoli
• Pioppini
• Sfiandrine.

In addition, there are cultivated mushrooms, such as the champignon, which are of French origin, have little flavor and almost no perfume.

How are mushrooms used and how can we preserve them?

	Dried Mushrooms

It is important to use fresh mushrooms as soon as they are picked, so as to take advantage of their intense characteristic perfume and flavor. The cleaning process is also very important. Mushrooms should be washed as little as possible because they tend to absorb the water. It is therefore advisable to clean the dirt from them with a tissue before washing them.

Could you suggest some recipes to our readers?

Traditionally the mushrooms were either used alone or added to potatoes or chestnuts. Modern recipes include them with seafood, as in fish with porcino mushrooms or chiodino mushrooms with scallop.

Mushrooms are particularly suitable in hors d'oeuvres and soups, paired with meats or fish in sauces, or by themselves, either fried or grilled. In addition, they can be used to prepare mousse, creams and other sauces. Other mushrooms are the base of many recipes and are prepared with olive oil, garlic and celery. There are variations that include scallions and other aromatic herbs.

Finally, in the past, the British used to eat them for breakfast cooked in milk or served with cream.

What can you tell our readers about chestnuts?

Chestnuts are round in one side and flat in the other. The meat is light, wrapped into a red-brown layer inside a pretty, glossy brown shell. Contrary to what most people believe, the husk is the fruit, while the chestnut is the plant seed.

	Marroni

Types:
There are regular chestnuts and marroni. The marroni are bigger and are either egg- or heart- shaped. Their meat is loose inside the red-brown layer and the skin is usually lighter compared to regular chestnuts.

Preservation:
Chestnuts can be kept for two weeks in a cool, aired room, spread in a single layer inside a rattan container. If preserved frozen, they must be kept in their shells. Washed, dried and with a little cut in their shell chestnuts can last as long as one year, but the best would be to freeze them already cooked. To avoid the formation of worms, they should be immersed in water as soon as harvested.

	Chestnuts

Characteristics:
In addition to water, chestnuts contain lots of minerals, especially potassium, followed by phosphorous, sulphur, magnesium, chlorine, calcium, iron and sodium. Chestnuts also contain vitamins C, B1, B2, PP and the nutritional elements are sugars, proteins and fat.

Each 100 grams of fresh chestnuts contain 200 calories. When dried, the calories rise to 370 per 100 grams of product and at the same time, the minerals and vitamins grow as well. During the drying process on the other hand, the vitamin C disappears completely.

Because of their high content of sugar, fat, proteins, vitamins and minerals, in addition to the high caloric value, chestnuts are extremely nourishing. They have energetic characteristics, provide minerals to the body, have a tonic effect on muscles and veins, and are antiseptic.

When chestnuts are ripe and well cooked, they are very effective in cases of physical and intellectual asthenia, or loss of strength. They are very helpful to anemic and older people, children and convalescents. In addition, chestnuts have healing properties for varicose veins and hemorrhoids, help fight chronic rheumatism and skin aging and are easily digested.

Contraindication:
Chestnuts should be avoided by people suffering from formation of air in the stomach, colitis and gastritis.

How are chestnuts used in Italian cuisine?

	Castagnaccio

Chestnuts can be made into a kind of flour used to make tagliatelle and gnocchi. They can be dried first, then left in water to create a mousse, or they may be eaten alone as caldarroste, baked in the oven or boiled. Traditionally, peasants used to make tortelli filled with chestnuts, cheese and chives that were served in chestnut broth.

Finally, chestnuts are used frequently to make desserts such as castagnaccio, chestnut frittelle, ciacci and cooked, as in pere volpine cotte (cooked fox pears) with chestnuts.