The Alba white truffle, one of Italy’s prized gems, carries notes different from its black counterparts, more like musky shallots or garlic than earth and cocoa. Found on oak, hazel, linden, and willow trees in parts of Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria, they release a pleasant woodsy smell that carries over into the olive oil through Urbani’s patented infusion system.
A spoonful of white truffle oil adds a subtle earthy overtone to anything from creamy pastas and risottos to lightly grilled white meats and fish. Egg-based dishes will also benefit from a few drops. This type of truffle oil goes best with the more delicate, mild flavored dishes. To complement your truffle-oiled meal with white wine, savor a glass of a fruity Arneis, light Chardonnay, or Verdelho. For reds, we recommend going full-bodied with a Barolo, Barbaresco, or Piedmontese Nebbiolo. If you’re feeling celebratory, you won’t go wrong with a bright Asti or Champagne—like our Duval-Leroy Fleur de Champagne Brut Premier Cru.
Truffles earned their place in haute cuisine because of their scarcity and the difficulty of locating them. It can take decades for truffle spores to mature—if they appear at all! Foragers use specially trained dogs and pigs in order to find just a handful of these rare fungus specimens. Their training involves using truffle oil as bait. In Italy, the strufion (a rag scented with this precious oil) has been used since 1756.
Store in a cool dry place.