In a truffle recipe, avoid using ingredients with very strong flavor or pungent smell as they might upstage the truffles. What s the point of using truffles if you can t taste their distinct flavor? Never delay using your newly purchased truffles. That way, you ensure that the strength of their taste remains when you add them to your favorite truffle recipe. There are also other types of Chinese Truffles including the tuber melanosporum which are usually made into truffle extracts and is sold at a high price; the tuber himalayensis which looks very similar to the tuber melanosporum an is only harvested in the Chinese Himalayas; the tuber sinensis, which are also found in high places and the Chinese summer white truffle. Brush truffles with soft brush to eliminate soil deposits and then cover each truffle with dry paper towel to seal their natural flavor. Place the wrapped truffles in an airtight jar and store it in the refrigerator. Don t store them in room temperature. Truffles with pungent flavor such as winter varieties can be stored in whole eggs or uncooked rice that can absorb excess flavor. Of course, you have to clean a truffle first before cooking it. Usually, it is washed with water and then brushed to get rid of soil deposits. Make sure that its covering is clean because you are not supposed to peel it. Once it s clean, wipe it dry using a paper towel. How Are They Cooked? Truffles are traditionally eaten raw. Ripe or matured French Black Truffles with brown-black color are used in specialty dishes because it its earthy and pungent smell. - the Italian white truffle or Tuber magnatum which is commonly found in Piedmont in Italy. Next to the French Black Truffles, this type is preferred by many gourmet chefs because it has a distinctive peppery taste which is very ideal when served raw. Nowadays, in an attempt to meet the demand for truffles, there are some Americans who are growing black truffles commercially. An example would be a truffle company in North Carolina, the Garland s Gourmet Mushrooms and Truffles who have been in the truffle business since 1990s. Although, most truffles could be found in the wild, history showed that they were cultivated during 1800s in France.