Underground, in the shade of oaks, hazels and beeches, a fungus ripens without ever seeing the light. It does not trust its spores to the wind: it perfumes the soil so an animal will find it, dig it up and carry them elsewhere. That perfume, made to seduce the forest, is what reaches your table. For the fungívoro, autumn smells of truffle.

The season has begun

We have fresh autumn truffle at our shop in Mercado Sano, by the gram and while the season lasts. It is a living product: it loses water and aroma every day. That is why we receive it in small amounts, and it is best to reserve yours before you come.

What it is

The autumn or Burgundy truffle is the autumn form of Tuber aestivum, sold in the trade as Tuber uncinatum. It is a hypogeous ascomycete —it fruits underground— that lives in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with the roots of trees such as oaks, hazels and beeches: the fungus gives water and minerals, the tree returns sugars.

For years mycologists debated whether the summer and autumn truffles were different species. A genetic analysis of samples from Italy and other European countries showed that they belong to the same species, and that their differences in aroma, taste and spores may be explained by ecology rather than genetics (Paolocci et al., 2004).

How to recognize it

Outside, a black rind covered in pyramidal warts, just like the summer truffle. The difference is inside: in the autumn truffle the gleba —the flesh— is darker, a brown that leans toward chocolate, crossed by fine white veins. Its aroma recalls toasted hazelnut and damp undergrowth, deeper than its summer counterpart.

How to use it

• Raw and at the end. Thinly sliced or grated over the finished dish: strong heat disperses its aromatic compounds.
• Over warm fat. Eggs, butter, fresh pasta, risotto, mashed potatoes, mild cheeses. Fat captures the aroma and carries it.
• In measure. Between 5 and 10 g per plate is usually enough.

How to store it

• Wrapped in paper towel, inside a closed glass jar, in the refrigerator (2 to 4 °C).
• Change the paper every day: the truffle sweats, and moisture invites mold.
• Do not store it in rice: it dries it out. To make the most of its aroma, put whole eggs in the same jar; the shell is porous and they take on the perfume.
• Enjoy it within a few days; its best moment is the first week.

An honest note on "truffled" products

Many truffle-flavored oils and sauces contain no truffle, but synthetic aroma, most often 2,4-dithiapentane, a molecule found in the perfume of the white truffle. Using it is not a deception if the label says so; selling it as truffle is. At Simbiosis we will always tell you which is which.

For professional kitchens

If you run a restaurant, reserve your truffle in advance. See the seasonal annex for chefs.

Visit us

Mercado Sano, Ancha de San Antonio 123, second floor, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. Write to us to reserve your truffle.

And if you are heading to the forest this season, meet the forager's knife: Opinel arrives at Simbiosis.

Source: Paolocci F, Rubini A, Riccioni C, Topini F, Arcioni S. Tuber aestivum and Tuber uncinatum: two morphotypes or two species? FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2004;235(1):109-115. PMID 15158269 · DOI 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.04.029