It s no wonder why chefs and savvy food connoisseurs love to experiment different dishes with truffles as an ingredient. Why don t you use one in your own kitchen? Listed here are some of the common choices of edible truffles used in gourmet delicacies. 1. Chinese Truffles These truffles actually consist of three species with varying flavors: Tuber indicum, Tuber sinense, and Tuber himalayanse. The most familiar among these truffle varieties is the black winter truffle, also popularly known as the umbria truffle, the black diamond truffle, the French black truffle, or the Perigord. With a diamond shape and black-grayish color, the black winter truffle gives off a very strong aroma and tastes earthy. That s too time-consuming and laborious a task, unless it s your hobby. When shopping for truffles, smell them to check their odor intensity and freshness. Truffles that have been stocked for a long time gradually lose their strong smell. Also, go for truffles that are well-textured, evenly shaped, blemish-free, and firm. Aside from the United States, Australia and New Zealand are also cultivating truffles. If you are planning to cultivate truffles, then there are several things that you would have to consider. Host plants - There are truffle businesses, like the Garland, that do not only buy gourmet mushrooms and truffles, but they also sell inoculated trees to serve as host plants or trees for the mushrooms. What makes truffle hunting all the more difficult is the fact that this mushroom variety grows underground. You can dig truffles from as deep as 15 inches from the ground. That is why you enlist the help of a trained dog or pig when scouring different sources of truffles in the wild. Your hunting buddy must have the ability to detect the pungent smell of truffles. Buying Truffle Ask the vendor or sales clerk to make a small slice out of the truffle so that you can view its meat and judge if it is in good condition. Choose truffles that have been cleaned. A truffle s dirt or cleanliness has nothing to do with its freshness, smell, and flavor. So go for the clean ones.