Funghi
Bianchetto
A tier
Bianchetto (“little white”) is the Italian kitchen name for Tuber borchii and related pale winter truffles used when magnatum is scarce or too costly. Specimens are often walnut-sized or smaller, with a sharp garlic scent that announces itself quickly then fades. Texture is firmer than soft Alba whites; colour ranges from cream to tan with reddish patches. Italian home cooking folds bianchetto into scrambled eggs, crostini, and simple tagliatelle. Do not pay Alba prices for bianchetto, and do not expect the same layered perfume. Still a real truffle—worth serving when fresh and fragrant.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Central Italian cuisines used bianchetto as the everyday winter white truffle.
Market grades separated bianchetto from white Alba to protect premium pricing.
Export and cultivation spread bianchetto beyond traditional Italian valleys.