The part of the territory of Norcia that boundaries on the courses of the rivers Nera, Sordo and Corno, as well as some
areas in the mountains around
Spoleto, is
full of truffles - tartuffi, in Italian.
Tuber
melanosporum vittadini, common name "authentic
black truffle", "Perigord
truffle" or "Tartufo Nero
Pregiato Umbro di Norcia" (rare black Umbrian truffle from Norcia), available
from November to March, is black with shades from brown to purple to
reddish with a whitish veining. Its size varies from few cm. in
diameter to the size of an apple.
Click
here for vacation accommodation in and near
Norcia.
Authentic
black truffle
The availability of truffles in the areas around Norcia has had a distinctive
and beneficial influence on local gastronomy. Unlike the white truffle, the black
truffle needs to be heated up and/or cooked in order to add
its flavour to the dish. To optimise the taste of the black
truffle, it's best to prepare traditional dishes such the pasta dish ''strengozzi al tartufo''. The
strengozzi are a type of homemade pasta, made from water and flour only, similar to thick and irregular fettuccine. The dish is prepared in a
quite simple way, lightly frying the garlic and adding a pinch of Cayenne pepper in a
generous amount of olive oil. Some variants call for addition of an anchovy. After washing, the
truffle it is grated and added to the very hot oil for some minutes. and the
oil is then added to the prepared strengozzi. However, don't
wash the truffle too much - brush away as much dirt as
possible dry, and then quickly clean off the remainder with
water so as not to wash away the volatiles responsible for
the aroma of the truffle.
Black truffles are also delicious with simple
spaghetti.
The Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Nero di Norcia (Norcia Truffle Fair)
This fair takes place in February, with the stalls almost
totally dedicated to the truffle. The idea is to buy your
truffles within a day or two of their having been in the
ground and to eat them within another two days. Truffles
rapidly lose their aroma once they have been dug up.
Click the following link for information about truffle
fairs in and near San Miniato, Tuscany.
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