Tuber aestivum
Tuber brumale
Tuber gibbosum
Tuber himalayensis
Tuber magnatum
Tuber melanosporum
Tuber mesentericum
Tuber oregonense
Tuber sinensis
The true truffles are a group of several valuable and highly sought-after edible species of underground ascomycetes belonging to the fungal genus Tuber. All are ectomycorrhizal and are therefore found in close association with trees.
The ascoma (fruiting body) of truffles is highly prized as food. It has a smell similar to deep-fried sunflower seeds or walnuts, though not all people are able to catch the odor of this fungus. The water after soaking truffles can taste a bit like soy sauce. Brillat-Savarin called the truffle "the diamond of the kitchen" and praised its aphrodisiacal powers. While the aphrodisiacal characteristics of truffles have not been established, it is still held in high esteem in French, northern Italian and Istrian cooking, and in international haute cuisine.
The origin of the word truffle appears to lie in the Latin term tuber, meaning "lump", which early on became tufer- and gave rise to the various European terms: French Truffe, Spanish Trufa, German Trüffel, Turkish domalan and Dutch Truffel. Interestingly the Italian tartufo and Piedmontese tartifla suggest an affinity with the German Kartoffel "potato".