Tuber Magnatum (White Truffle)

Tuber magnatum, the white truffle (Italian: trifola d’Alba Madonna “Truffle of the White Madonna”), is a species of truffle in the order Pezizales and family Tuberaceae. It is found in southern Europe.

White Truffles are highly-prized edible fungi. Truffles are so expensive to buy that they are generally shaved very thinly and added sparingly to a meal. One way to make a truffle go further is to extract ‘truffle oil’ from the fruitbody and use it as a spray. Most so-called truffle oil available in shops does not contain truffles at all but is produced synthetically to replicate (to some degree!) the unique odour of real truffles.