National Truffle Day is observed annually on May 2nd. On this day, the deliciously sweet chocolate truffle gets the spotlight.
This chocolate confectionery is traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate, icing, cocoa powder, chopped nuts or coconut. The truffle may be filled with other fillings such as cream, melted chocolate, caramel, nuts, fruit, nougat, fudge, toffee, mint, marshmallow or liqueur.
Chocolate truffles are confectionery sweets made primarily of a mixture of cream and chocolate, known as ‘ganache’.
- N. Petruccelli of Chambery, France, is believed to be the inventor of the chocolate truffle in December 1895.
- Truffles became much more popular in 1902 when Prestat Chocolate Shop opened in London. Prestat still sells “Napoleon III” truffles made to the original recipe.
- While its history is uncertain, one tale of the chocolate truffle invention points towards the inventor as master chef Auguste Escoffier, from France, or one of his young workers, who in the 1920’s, accidentally placed heated cream in a bowl of chocolate.
- The term ‘chocolate truffle’ is derived from the edible tuber fungus known as a ‘truffle’, which shares a similar appearance to the confectionery.
- The internal part of a chocolate truffle is usually a soft ganache, that is generally coated or rolled in a covering of nuts, chocolate, icing sugar, coconut or cocoa powder.
- While traditionally chocolate truffles contain ganache, a heated and cooled chocolate and cream mixture, they sometimes consist of another filling, such as caramel, fudge, fruit, nuts or chocolate.
- In some areas, the 2nd of May is recognized by some people as National Truffle Day, and it is celebrated by eating chocolate truffles.
- To make chocolate truffles, hot cream is poured over chocolate pieces; gently stirred; allowed to cool; and shaped into balls that are then coated; although ingredients and methods differ in various countries.
- Chocolate truffles are traditionally roughly spherical in shape, due to the ganache being hand rolled into balls, although they can be purchased as cubes, cones, and in other forms.
- Chocolate truffles are generally considered a luxurious confectionery item, and they are commonly colored either brown or white, depending on the chocolate used.
- French truffles typically consist of ganache rolled in cocoa powder, while Belgian truffles have an outer shell made of dark chocolate.
- There are several different ways to make a truffle, but it’s important to note that not all chocolate that has a filling is a truffle. For example, chocolates that have a fruit or cream center are not truffles. Just remember, if the center isn’t made of ganache, it isn’t a truffle.
- Apparently, there is a huge misunderstanding among truffle lovers. One group believes the truffle is a sweet treat made by bakers, while another group has a slightly different idea of a true truffle.
- Truffles are actually mushrooms that grow underground near truffle oaks.
- Real truffles apparently look similar to a small brown rock.
- Truffles have been around for about 4,000 years.
- Truffles are mostly found in Italy, southern France and Croatia.
- Truffle dogs and truffle dogs are specially trained to find truffles.
- Shockingly, a truffle once sold for $3,000.
- You can add chocolate to anything and it immediately becomes a delicacy.
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