The Science

The same class of protective compounds found in berries and green tea. Truffle extracts have shown real antioxidant activity in laboratory studies.

The truffle makes these compounds to protect itself as it grows underground. They come with it, straight out of the soil.

Truffles contain protein with essential amino acids, the ones your body cannot make and has to get from food.

Free amino acids like glutamate give truffle its deep umami character. The flavour and the nutrition are the same molecules.

Much of a truffle is fibre, including beta-glucans, the same fibre family that made oats famous.

Fibre supports normal digestion, and most of us do not eat enough of it. Truffles are a delicious place to find more.

Potassium, iron, zinc and magnesium, drawn straight up from the earth. The same minerals people take supplements for, here in food form.

The mineral makeup of a truffle reflects its soil, which is part of why origin matters so much.

Truffles naturally carry B group vitamins, the ones that help the body turn food into energy.

Truffles contain ergosterol, the natural precursor of vitamin D. Fungi are essentially the only non-animal food that has it. Otherwise, you are looking at oily fish.

White truffle aroma comes from natural sulfur compounds, cousins of the ones that gave garlic its famously healthy reputation.

These molecules are volatile, which is why truffle is added at the end, letting the warmth of the dish carry the aroma.

Truffle polysaccharides are being studied in laboratories around the world, including for their antioxidant and immune-related properties.

Science is still uncovering what these molecules do. We think that is part of the truffle's charm.

Truffles form in a symbiotic relationship with tree roots, trading nutrients with the tree for years before fruiting.

This partnership cannot be rushed or faked, which is why every real truffle takes years of care.