Summer Truffles – whole summer truffles – 12.5g

Whole summer truffles preserved in their own juice

Tartufi Estivi are whole summer truffles, preserved in their own truffle juice and jarred for longevity. Four ingredients, no added flavorings. Slice them thinly over pasta, scrambled eggs, and risotto when fresh truffles are out of season.

Viani's Tartufi Estivi are whole summer truffles of the species Tuber aestivum, packed in truffle juice, water, and salt. That’s all there is on the list. The jar contains 12.5 grams, 10 grams of which is the drained weight, meaning pure truffle. This is enough for two to three dishes if you use them sparingly.

Harvested at maturity, preserved in their own juice

We use selected, mature truffles that remain whole and are placed in the jars along with their own juice. This is exactly what sets them apart from flavored products.

The sterilization process inevitably costs some of the aroma, as the sulfur compounds that define the truffle's scent are extremely volatile. Dimethyl sulfide, the most important of these, boils at around 37 degrees Celsius. What remains is a warm, nutty aroma, calmer and rounder than in fresh products, but available all year round.

The juice in the jar is not waste, but the best part. Add it to your sauce or risotto, where it contributes more aroma than the tuber itself.

Depending on their size, there are one to three whole tubers in the jar. When sliced, they reveal the fine light marbling that characterizes the summer truffle, and this exact appearance is the reason to slice them rather than chop them: you want to see what you are serving on the plate.

Slice, do not cook

Truffles belong on the finished dish. Anything that is exposed to heat for more than a few seconds will lose exactly what you paid for.

Unlike fresh tubers, preserved truffles cannot be shaved because they are too soft. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut them into fine slices, which you can then lay over fresh pasta with butter and Parmesan, over soft scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, or risotto. They also work well on beef carpaccio and mild soft cheeses.

A warm base helps because the residual heat releases the aroma without destroying it. Fat also helps: butter, cream, egg yolk, or olive oil absorb the sulfur compounds and carry them further. On a cold, lean plate, however, little of the truffle’s essence remains.

If you combine them with a dab of truffle butter or a few drops of truffle oil, the effect is significantly enhanced because the flavoring and the real truffle complement each other. Once opened, the jar should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days.

The variety that grows throughout the summer

The summer truffle is known as "Scorzone" in Italy, due to its rough, black skin. It can be harvested from May 1st to November 30th.

Inside, it is a light hazelnut-brown with fine marbling; it has an earthy, slightly garlicky aroma and a nutty flavor. It is the most accessible of the commercially available species: around 170 euros per kilo, whereas the white Alba truffle costs over 1,800 euros and fetches much higher sums at auctions.

For a long time, this preserved product was the only form in which truffles reached Germany, back then for a culinary scene that barely knew them. Today, the company sources fresh produce from Umbria and Tuscany, while the canned products are produced by long-standing manufacturers according to BRC standards. The jar simply states Italy as the origin, without specifying a region.

You can find more like this in our Mediterranean corner and in the Antonio Viani Importe collection. For a product that is only available fresh for a few weeks a year, this jar is a fair compromise. Ten grams, and the dish is transformed.

Contents 12.5 g – Drained weight 10 g