"ViLco" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> Giusi wrote:

>> I use the real thing. They make it in my town.
>
> I know, Umbria is one of the two most renowned regions of Italy when it's
> > truffle season. And I personally prefer the noble black (tuber
> melanosporum) to the Alba white (tuber magnatum pico). And as long as I
> can find a good > piece of "nero di norcia" I'm in heaven
> I have never found a good scorzone, "tuber aestivum", where you live they
> > probably bulk-sell it to the industry for production of oil or such.
> Anyway I tried a very very good "tuber uncinatum chatin", the "nero di >
> fragno" from the Calestano / Fornovo Taro area, in the Parma Apennines
> near here. It's similar to the Norcia black and has a wide aroma with a
> delicate > hint of pepper, and it goes incredibly well in cheese and/or
> mushrooms sauces, like the renowned "fonduta di formaggio" served over
> polenta at > "Locanda Mariella" in Fragno (PR). That, and theyr incredible
> wine chart, are more than a very good reason to dine there.
> The production in Umbria is so high, both in quantity and quality, that
> this > "nero di fragno" is probably not sold there, but if you have a
> chance give it a try. Its name is spreading well these days, just 10 years
> ago it was > known only in the Parma mountain area and today its name has
> made its way till in Lombardia.

I shall ask which that is. One family here are such fabulous naturalists as
well as truffle hunters that I'm sure they'll bring me one when they are in
season. Our white truffles are superb, Vilco. One will stink up the whole
house for days from inside a closed jar in the fridge! My cats used to line
up facing the fridge whenever I had one in there.

I buy what is available, then I use the amount needed to make my dish good.
The people I cook for want to sample what there is right then, not be told
to come back when the white truffle in season (although I feed them today's
truffle AND tell them to come back in November.)