The truffle is a classic that never goes out of style.
Graniittilinna’s truffle menu as a starter of lightly smoked scallops and truffle. Wind Lindgren
Truffle is a valued raw material, which is, however, unfamiliar to many due to its expensive price and limited availability. Truffle mushrooms growing underground are valuable, as they are not easy to find. Trained truffle dogs are used for searches.
Truffles grow in Central and Southern Europe, but also in Finland, although finding truffles in Finland is not exactly easy.
The price of a truffle depends on its quality and variety. The price per kilo of white truffles found in the Alba region of northern Italy can easily reach more than 5,000 euros, and sometimes well over that. Just over a year ago, a specimen weighing a little over 800 grams was auctioned for over 100,000 euros.
French black winter truffles are more affordable, but still quite appreciated, which can currently also be found in Finnish restaurants. Their season lasts until the end of February.
One of the restaurants that relies on truffles is Graniittilinna from Helsinki, which has recently renovated its kitchen to suit the rustic French style. That’s why the restaurant has included the truffle menu as its flagship product for the winter.
– Truffles are the crown jewel of French cuisine, explains Ravintolakolmio’s kitchen manager Sami Hiltunen choice.
The aroma of the truffle is so strong that it is carried from the portion to the nose without any smelling. Wind Lindgren
He works as Graniittilinna’s chef Matias Nitovooriwho has a strong knowledge of French cuisine and several top restaurant kitchens.
Nitovuori says that the origin of the truffles arriving in the restaurant’s kitchen varies, and there can be both wild-grown and cultivated truffles. The species names may vary, but they are all black truffles. Their price per kilo can’t be called cheap either. The price of the best black winter truffles is around 1,500 euros per kilo.
Graniittilinna’s truffle menu costs 68 euros, which doesn’t seem very high. The price is in the same category as the multi-course menus of other Helsinki restaurants.
– We try to price the menu in such a way that we don’t ask for a large margin for truffles, but rather the opportunity to offer the truffle experience to as many people as possible, says Sami Hiltunen and reminds us that truffles are used in dishes like a spice, so the quantity is not very large per serving.
Here’s how to use truffles
It is difficult to describe the taste of truffle, because its aroma is very unique. Hiltunen describes the smell and taste as intoxicating and umami, which is easy to agree with.
Truffles can be grated or planed over pasta or risotto, for example. One classic way to use it is to seal fresh truffle with eggs in a glass jar and then close the lid of the jar.
– The taste of the truffle is absorbed into the eggs in a couple of days, and the end result is delicious truffle eggs, says Hiltunen.
Although as a raw material truffle may seem foreign, it is quite easy to use in the home kitchen as well. The cheapest and most convenient way to enjoy truffles is to find truffle butter or oil in stores. With them, it is easy to give food a truffle flavor.