Welcome back summer truffle
The summer black Scorzone
whose scientific name is tuber aestivum, as the name suggests, is a truffle available in the warm period of the year.
The scorzone harvest goes from spring to the end of summer and is the only truffle available in the summer season.
This truffle prefers lime-magnesium, filtering soils, rich in fine and coarse constituents, with an aerated and lumpy structure, and tolerates very heavy and tenacious soils. In general, the summer scorzone prefers soils that dry quickly and do not accumulate excess humidity and are present from sea level up to over 1,000 meters above sea level.
In Valpantena it finds an ideal habitat where it can associate with English oak (Quercus peduncolata), sessile oak (Quercus sessiflora), beech (Fagus silvatica), white hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and hazel (Corylus avellana).
Very similar in appearance to the more well-known prized black truffle, it has different aromatic and ripening characteristics which, however, thanks to its scent and delicate flavor, can give great satisfaction even to the most demanding palates. The scent of the summer truffle is in fact less intense than that of the prized black truffle, more delicate and tending to take on fungal aromas. These characteristics make the smell of Scorzone very pleasant. It has a strong but not too intense flavor that vaguely recalls porcini mushrooms. The delicacy and pleasantness of the flavor make it a very versatile ingredient in the kitchen, where it lends itself to multiple combinations. The black summer truffle has that characteristic "gas" flavor that is much less present, a feature that makes it highly appreciated by those who do not like this strong flavor, characteristic of almost all other types of truffle.
It goes perfectly with local excellences such as "Monte Veronese" cheese and with local wines: fragrant whites or great reds such as Valpolicella Ripasso and Amarone. The important thing is to come to Valpantena and let yourself be conquered by these local delicacies.
