Truffles in Umbria

Umbria is a synonymous with truffle. Find out why and where to eat truffles in our region. Plan your ideal vacation in autumn!

Black, white, precious, you are spoiled for choice on where to eat truffles in Umbria, a land so rich in this noble food that it offers much more than grated on a steaming plate of tagliolini, but a myriad of traditional restaurants and some festivals.

What is the truffle?

Before even tasting it, let's find out what the truffle is: it is an underground mushroom, with the shape of a tuber. It has a “bark”, which encloses a fleshy mass as in a casket, it is made up of high percentages of water, fiber, mineral salts and other substances supplied by the tree with which it lives in symbiosis.
The truffle lives in close relationship with the roots of some trees such as: oak, hazel and poplar. Its appearance depends on the soil in which it grows.

If you’re asking yourself: the truffle is not recommended during pregnancy, both because it is grown underground and because it should be eaten fresh and raw. It is also preferable to avoid it while breastfeeding, but if you want to taste it, just consume it in a moderate way.

Where to eat truffles in Umbria

We have a tip to start with: vegetarians or not, it is “forbidden” to stop at the truffle. You have an incredible, authentic, millenary tradition of flavors in front of you, capable of surprising you with cold cuts, homemade pasta dishes, soups, legumes and “torti al testo”. Try to ask, let the waiter suggest you the best recipe, discover the different combinations of the truffle with the other ingredients capable of enhancing it.

If you are looking for the perfect place to have dinner for your next holiday in Umbria, we want to recommend four restaurants, around Borgo Giorgione, ready for authentic Italian excellent old recipes?

Trattoria Bruno Coppetta, a few minutes drive from Borgo Giorgione, in the enchanting setting of Città della Pieve. We recommend you to book your table as it is a well-known restaurant where it is difficult to find a seat. Let them guide you in this enchanting atmosphere and taste the truffle...
Ristorante da Gregorio, in the locality of Morrano Nuovo, known for its culinary ars, here you can savor the famous recipe "Terrine of Pigeon with toasted bread, raspberry reduction and summer truffle". About 40 minutes from Borgo Giorgione
Trattoria La Palomba, just 40 minutes drive from your apartment in Borgo Giorgione. Enjoy the familiar atmosphere, a place where homemade pasta and meat occupy the first place. Here we definitely recommend the umbrichelli with truffles. This restaurant is also reported in the Michelin Guide.
Tenuta di San Pietro al Pettine, slightly further away, but perfect stop on the road between Borgo Giorgione and Spello. Restaurant awarded by Puntarella Rossa for low prices and high quality, here you will find the young chef Alice Caporicci, with a truly surprising tasting menu at € 30.00.
Seven Cafè, in Monteleone di Orvieto just a few minutes from Borgo Giorgione, a peaceful and informal place, run by two brothers, Andrea and Michele, who are authentic truffle hunters and lovers. And for this very reason they know how to enhance the truffle. Get your table and let them suggest the best dishes.

If you like a more adventurous approach, participate in the well-known Potato and truffle festival in Pietralunga!

How to preserve the truffle

If in addition to savoring it, you also want to bring it home and cook it as you prefer, the truffle must be preserved with precision.
Once you get home you can wrap the truffle in absorbent paper (to be changed at least once a day) and put it in the fridge. Thus it will keep its properties and flavor for about ten days.

For longer periods it is also possible to store it in the freezer, preferably in flakes and dry, so as not to have surprises when opening.
For a few days it is also possible to keep it in oil (always in the refrigerator), while the famous method of preserving in jars with rice, effective for a very short time, should be avoided.