Other Species of Gourmet Truffles in Australia

Chinese Gourmet Truffles

Chinese Gourmet Truffle (Tuber sinensis, also sometimes called Tuber indicum) is mass harvested in China. It resembles Tuber melanosporum, but it tastes bland and is chewy. Due to their low price, Chinese Gourmet Truffles are often exported to the West, but they should not be confused with Tuber melanosporum. Some truffle exporters or delicatessen shops sell Chinese truffles into which extracts of the real Tuber melanosporum are introduced. These fraudulent truffles are sold at a high price, pretending they are real Tuber melanosporum. Such practices are illegal, but unfortunately, quite frequent.

Another type of Chinese Gourmet Truffle is the Tuber himalayensis, which visually looks so much like the Tuber melanosporum that a microscope is needed to differentiate them, but whose taste is not as intense as the Tuber melanosporum. The Tuber himalayensis, however, is harvested in very small quantities in the Chinese Himalayas, and is not as frequently met on world markets as the Tuber sinensis. The third type of Chinese Truffle is the Chinese summer white truffle,which does not yet have a scientific name. This truffle should not be confused with the much more expensive Italian Tuber magnatum.

Click here to read articles about different types of gourmet truffles.

Summer Gourmet Truffles

The Black Summer Truffle (Tuber aestivum/unicinatum) thrives in northern Italy, central Europe and the UK but also grows in Turkey and North Africa. It is highly valued for its culinary uses. Summer truffles do not have as strong an aroma or taste as winter truffles do. They are mainly harvested from June to November . These truffles grow in symbiosis with trees such as oaks, hazels and beech. They can weigh up to 20-30 g, and their shape is generally round, up to 4 cm diameter.

Other species in Western Australia

Two lesser-used truffles include the Black truffle (Tuber macrosporum) and the Scorzone truffle (Tuber mesentericum). In the Pacific Northwest, several species of truffle are harvested both recreationally and commercially, most notably, the Oregon white truffles, Tuber oregonense and Tuber gibbosum.

Truffle Oil

Truffle oil, with the exception of a few very small producers, does not contain any truffles. Most truffle oil is olive oil with chemical compounds added. For the purposes of flavoring, the oil, which is inexpensive, is a reasonable substitute.

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