8508 Piedmont Pictures

Nice one PP! Those are delightful 500's!

What ever happened to the gallery we had/didn't have?

Yes the snow is still falling in Piedmont - photo of our vineyard
[IMG]http://www.stayinpiedmont.com/images/this%20weeks%20picture/piedmont_in_jan2.jpg[/IMG]

Always nice to see peoples photos Phil. I'm just curious. Your photos of truffle hunting looks like someone has found a truffle on what seems like open land. I thought truffles only grow around certain trees and their roots, or do white truffles grow differently to black ones? Or is it just the camera angle?

Our place is in northern Abruzzo and black truffles are abundant and very cheap so we always indulge ourselves whenever we go there, although it's an aquired taste, like marmite, you either love it or hate it. I've never tasted white truffles (probably beacuse they are much more expensive), are they similar in taste to the black ones?.

The Piedmont white truffle is (I believe) more pungent & flavoured compared to the easier to grow black truffle. Chefs and fans certainly fight for the white truffle and as you say it commands a much higher price.

The truffle hunting photos are interesting - in fact we are hunting along a meandering stream bed which has a line of old trees (many of which are nut trees) on either side. The photo, taken by me is facing away from the trees in medows that are in the shaddow of the large trees. I guess that means that the root system of the trees is fairly close to the surface. So I don't think we are shattering any norms for searching for Piedmont Truffles :-)

I've had fresh white truffle grated raw onto oiled pasta. I found it slightly stronger in flavour but with a much more pronounced earthy perfume than black truffle ... though that may be because - in umbria at least - black truffle is usually tossed with the pasta rather than just grated over at the last minute, and has therefore cooked out slightly before servng?

[quote=pigro;80109]I've had fresh white truffle grated raw onto oiled pasta. I found it slightly stronger in flavour but with a much more pronounced earthy perfume than black truffle ... though that may be because - in umbria at least - black truffle is usually tossed with the pasta rather than just grated over at the last minute, and has therefore cooked out slightly before servng?[/quote]

Yes, by tossing it you will be slightly cooking the black truffle. Also, [B][I]Tartufo Alba (Tuber magnatum)[/I][/B] is more aromatic than the black truffle and by grating it on top of the pasta will release its lovely perfume. The experts say that the perfume reminds you of garlic and mature cheese... Well, they may be right... I simply find it superb.