Bianchetto Truffle
Tuber albidum Pico
January - April
Bianchetto Truffles are fairly widespread in Italy, growing in coastal areas and in the hills. It bears fruit between January and April.
Ideally, it should be used as a cream, in butter, or as a filling in tortellini or ravioli.
The very intense flavour of Bianchetto Truffles mean that only a small amount is required to season a dish. It can be used raw, finely sliced, to add flavour to hot dishes: the heat from the dish draws out the rich aroma of the truffle. Alternatively, it can be added to pasta or risotto shortly before serving, along with butter and parmesan, for a delicious, creamy blend of flavours.
Grated onto eggs, whether scrambled, fried or poached, the results are sure to be excellent.
Bianchetto Truffles are small to medium in size – from as small as a pea to as large as an apricot. The peridium is small and comes in varying colours: golden, reddish-brown or orange, and often speckled. The colour of the gleba changes depending on when the truffle matures and the soil it is grown in. Less mature specimens are whitish, while older ones are red-brown, with large, twisting golden-white veins running through.
