The black winter truffle

Vaucluse, a favorite place for truffles.

Vaucluse is the first department producing truffles. The Mediterranean climate and the vegetation of the Monts de Vaucluse, Luberon and Ventoux, mainly made up of white and holm oaks, favor the harvest of this culinary pearl.

To find this exceptional dish abundantly, the right weather conditions must be met. For example, it is the rains in August that will partly guarantee a good season of black truffles in winter.

The season of the winter truffle “Tuber Melanosporum” known as the Périgord black truffle is generally from mid-December to mid-March.

Techniques for collecting truffles:

• Digging with a pig: this is the traditional method, but less common today, of searching for truffles with a pig.
• Cavage with the help of a dog: it is the most used method nowadays. The dog should be trained from an early age.
• Fly digging: it is an unusual method that consists of moving slowly by sweeping the ground with a small rod in the hope of seeing a fly fly away.

Where can you buy truffles?

• At the producer directly.
• On the markets: Thursday and Sunday mornings in L'Isle-sur-la Sorgue. The Velleron market on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 16:30 to 18:00. Not to mention, the famous Carpentras Truffle Market, on Friday morning.

How do you store truffles?

Truffles are not really made to be kept or preserved, they can be eaten as quickly as possible! Indeed, the aroma is more intense the first week. However, it can be kept for about a week in a cool place, in paper towels or vacuum-packed.

For those who might miss them during the year, they can be frozen. They will more or less retain their perfume but on the other hand they will lose their crunch.

The trick to test at home: put the truffles in an airtight jar with eggs, these will guarantee a good scramble or omelet.

How do you prepare truffles at home?

Truffled Brie de Meaux

• Buy a Brie de Meaux from your cheese maker (preferably) and put it in the refrigerator for enough time to manage to slice it and open it in half.
• Once cut in half, shred one or more small truffles inside.
• Assemble the brie and wrap it tightly with cling film all the way around.
• Put it in the fridge and take it out the next day, some time before tasting

Enjoy it at room temperature for an aperitif with a good glass of wine or as a final dish with a salad. A treat!

Truffled butter

And for those who don't like cheese, don't panic, we take out of the fridge a good soft butter, or semi-salted, it's even better.

• Place the chosen butter in a glass bowl.
• Using a fork, shape it to make its texture as supple as possible.
• Rap and then generously break up one or more truffles in the salad bowl.
• Mix and knead the whole thing again.
• Cover the container with cling film or a suitable lid so that the aroma of the truffle infuses the butter.

Serve spread on slices of toast for an aperitif. A delight!

Where can you taste truffles?

Chefs are having fun creating entire truffle menus, from appetizers to desserts! If you want to try the experience, we invite you to discover this exceptional mushroom in all its forms in the following restaurants:

• Bistrot La Pâstière in Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne
• Renaud'Mets in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
• Le Vivier in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (from January 14th to February 13th 2022)
• by Serge at Carpentras

Recipe with truffle by Bistrot de la Pastière

Find the recipe for Rossini beef gratin potatoes with truffle by clicking on the link here.