What is a Truffle?

A truffle is the fruiting body (sporocarp) of an underground fungus (hypogean) belonging to the Tuber family. To produce its prized sporocarp, the truffle must live in symbiosis with specific trees.

A truffle consists of an outer layer called the peridium, which can be either smooth or rough and ranges in colour from light to dark. Beneath the surface lies the gleba, or inner tissue, which varies in colour from white to black, or pink to brown, and is intricately marbled with veins of different shapes and sizes. These branched veins contain bubble-shaped cavities (asci) that house the spores.

Truffle species are identified based on a combination of morphological and organoleptic characteristics, including the structure of the peridium, gleba, asci, and spores, as well as size, taste, and aroma.