White Truffle Salt

The folks at Appennino Funghi e Tartufi started out small in Savigno, Italy. Today they supply many of the world's top chefs and retailers with their truffle products.

Truffles—peanut to fist-sized mushrooms that look something like knobbly potatoes—make for a mystical, magical flavor that for many is irresistable. When they're in season, restaurant menus across France and Italy feature them. They're also insanely expensive. Paying hundreds of dollars for a single truffle is not seen as weird. It's considered normal. For people who want this flavor, pocketbooks open wide. Nothing else will do.

Nothing, perhaps, except this. White winter truffles, picked in the late autumn and early winter, are dried and mixed with salt. As they spend time in the salt, they infuse it with their rich, earthy aroma. Use the salt in a dish and you have amazing white truffle flavor at a fraction of the cost.

I'm normally a huge skeptic about flavored salts but this one totally works. Add it right before serving. Taken in small amounts, the truffle salt adds a great deal of depth and flavor to dishes. It's an earthy characteristic, but it has umami notes and savory tones that seem to magically transform cuisine into something extraordinary. Try it with popcorn or on simple roasted potatoes. I know it sounds silly or a waste of good truffle salt, but it's exactly the type of venue where this product shines.

Take it slow because too much of a good thing isn't a great thing.