Funghi

Summer Truffle

A tier

Summer truffle is the kitchen name for Tuber aestivum sold in the warm season when winter blacks are off the calendar. Colour is dark outside and pale-brown within, with a scent that suggests porcini more than musk-bomb melanosporum. Quality varies with ripeness: underripe pieces taste bland; fully ripe ones carry a clean woodland perfume. Use more product by weight than you would for Périgord—summer truffle is a seasoning fungus that rewards a generous hand. Fine dice into compound butter, fold into soft polenta, or shave over warm goat cheese. Avoid calling it equivalent to winter black on a tasting menu without honesty about intensity.