Truffles are a type of fungus. Although humans have been consuming truffles for over 2000 years, they are still not successfully cultivated. As a result, truffles are rare and valuable, especially the black truffle, which is considered one of the top three delicacies in Europe, alongside caviar and foie gras. So how should truffles be enjoyed?
White Truffle Sandwich
Ingredients: Crusty bread, olive oil, white truffle.
Instructions: Slice the bread and fry it in olive oil until golden on both sides. Arrange slices of white truffle on the bread.
This is a popular appetizer during Italian Christmas.
Truffle Linguini
Ingredients: White truffle, linguini pasta, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper.
Instructions:
1. Boil linguini pasta in a pot of water with a little olive oil and salt until cooked.
2. Remove the pasta from the pot and place it in a large bowl. Add a generous amount of olive oil and black pepper, and toss.
3. Plate the pasta, use a professional truffle slicer to shave thin slices of truffle on top.
4. Season with salt and extra black pepper to taste.
Truffle Cream Soup
Ingredients: Black truffle, butter, milk, flour, salt, chicken bouillon, white pepper, chicken broth.
Instructions:
1. Wash and slice the black truffle. Place it in a blender along with the milk and blend until smooth.
2. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until fragrant.
3. Pour the blended truffle and milk mixture into the pot. Stir well with the flour mixture. Add chicken broth, salt, chicken bouillon, and white pepper.
4. Simmer on low heat for about half an hour, then remove from heat.
Black Truffle Black Chicken Soup
Ingredients: Black truffle, black chicken, ginger slices, salt, cooking wine.
Instructions:
1. Soak the black truffle in cold water to clean it. Clean and cut the black chicken into pieces.
2. In a pot, add black truffle, black chicken, ginger slices, and cooking wine. Add enough water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
3. Skim off any foam before serving. Add salt to taste.
Truffle Tea
Boil water with freeze-dried truffle slices, then use the truffle-infused water to brew traditional tea leaves. The most wonderful combination is truffle-infused water with pu-erh tea, which creates a unique and rich flavor.
Truffle-infused Liquor
Truffles and liquor have an inseparable connection, both in Europe and China. However, the difference lies in the European tradition of using truffle aroma to enhance the price of the liquor, while in China, large pieces of truffle are directly soaked in liquor, showcasing the cultural differences.
Both fresh and dried truffles can be used to infuse liquor. For dried truffles, a ratio of 15-30g/500ml is recommended. For fresh truffles, use a ratio of 80% volume of liquor to 20% volume of truffle. It is best to use grain-based liquor with an alcohol content of around 50 degrees. After soaking for 15 days, the color of the liquor will turn into a reddish hue, indicating that it is ready to be enjoyed, with a rich flavor and desired effects.
