There is nothing like the umami taste which comes from cooking with truffles. Fortunately Viva Gourmet offers high quality (read professional chef variety) prepared truffle products, since fresh truffles are difficult to come by and quite expensive. Cooking with truffles can quickly elevate a myriad of dishes.

You may have tried some truffle oil from a local specialty shop or worse yet at the discount store “gourmet” section. I urge you, try the real thing! If you want to elevate your dishes by cooking with truffles you really want fresh and high quality. Many of the more readily available ones are merely “flavored.” First in the stable is truffle salt. Truffle salt is like having magic pixie dust in your kitchen. Selezione Tartufi has a 5% black truffle infusion with fine sea salt. Sprinkle truffle salt on everything from popcorn to roasted potatoes to vegetables. Next is truffle oil for finishing and adding pizzaz to everything from scrambled eggs to roasted potatoes. Try black truffle oil and white truffle oil to appreciate the subtle differences of the two. Finally a delicious truffle sauce made of fresh black truffles and mushrooms makes cooking with truffles a snap. It is a velvety sauce perfect for tossing with fresh cooked pasta, stirring in mashed potatoes or elevating creamed spinach to a whole new level. When in season don’t pass on a fresh truffle to shave over everything from eggs to steak!

Of course, cooking with truffles is a bit of a misnomer. Truffles, fresh shaved or prepared, are almost always added at the end as their unique umami taste dissipates with cooking.