Ready to go white truffle hunting in the streets of Rome, Italy?
Instead of being planted and cultivated, truffles are wild and must be foraged. They are priced from $6,000-$10,000 per pound due to how unpredictably they grow. While white truffles may be rare and can be found in the forests of Umbria, they are easily found in these classic dishes throughout the city of Rome.
While they may not look so appetizing, these fungi are called “the diamond of the kitchen” according to French gourmet Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. When a server comes to shave a few grams onto whatever dish you're eating, it feels as though you’re being treated like a Roman emperor. Due to their high price and pungent odor, these truffles are used in small quantities on a wide range of dishes and can elevate the taste enormously.
Pasta
Putting truffles on fettuccine is a classic, mixed with some butter or cream. Just because it's so well-known doesn't mean that it's not delicious.
Pizza
White pizza and white truffles... What could be better? Next time you get pizza delivered to your dorm room, imagine you are eating it with truffles on top.
#SpoonTip: make your own mushroom and ricotta pizza with truffle oil at home with this recipe.
Buffalo Mozzarella
If you didn't think buffalo mozzarella could get any better, think again. Just add white truffles, and it will enhance the taste to make this cheese even tastier.
Fries
What better way to make you feel more like an adult than topping our favorite crunchy potatoes with this decadent antiquity?
#SpoonTip: If you can't afford the real thing, then just go for white truffle oil.
Eggs
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. A classic Roman dish is to top eggs, specifically fried eggs, with a few grams of this expensive fungus.
Ice Cream
Okay, this one may sound weird, but don't knock it until you try it. Just imagine the taste of this vanilla ice cream topped with pine nuts, dried figs, and truffle honey. Tears are coming to my eyes just thinking about it.
Looking at these pictures makes my mouth water. Anyone else ready to go to Italy to hunt for some delicious truffles?
To find truffles closer to home, look here. And if you want to go hunting for other yummy foods in Italy, check out this article.