 One of the most highly coveted foods on the planet, the truffle is a fungus that grows underground near the roots of trees. Truffles only grow in the wild and are located by gatherers with the use of dogs and pigs, who are the only trainable animals with keen enough noses to sniff out the black treasure. Pigs are able to find truffles better, but dogs are often the animal of choice because they are much less likely to consume the truffle when found.
Truffles are typically 3 to 12 inches in length and are rather unattractive, resembling dung more than an edible substance. The skin is wrinkled and can range from off-white to a solid black in color.
The Umbria region of Italy and the Périgord and Quercy regions of France are famous for their delectable black truffles. Meanwhile, Piedmont is where the highly coveted white truffle can be found, and the town of Alba holds an annual festival to celebrate the underground treasure.
Truffles are used to flavor foods such as omelettes, risotto and polenta, and are also used as a garnish for roasted meats and poultry.
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