Truffles have found a steadfast place in Delhi’s culinary world, and with the growing amount of Italian restaurants in the city it’s no wonder. Nevertheless, a lot of people are wary of tasting this delicacy. Truffles are one of the strangest and highly coveted ingredients, often finding themselves playing an integral role in Italian, French and Haute cuisine. However, the taste of truffles seems to cater to refined taste buds. Some gourmands call truffles erotic and smouldering, whereas others say it is reminiscent of moldy socks, which are not two descriptors one usually confuses.

Nonetheless, truffles are widely sought after not because of their taste, but their aroma. The best way to experience the taste of a truffle is to slice them thin, or better yet, shave them paper thin over a hot dish. The heat of the dish releases a bit of the gas from the truffle, allowing the aroma to be stimulating, but not overbearing.

Check out some of these truffle dishes Delhi chefs are serving up.

Zanotta

Panzerotti all’a anatra con sugo d’ anatra al tartufo

This dish, originally hailing from Tuscany, is a savoury turnover, like a calzone, filled with juicy, pulled duck breasts in a truffle duck jus. The rich, truffle flavoured sauce compliments the gaminess of the pulled duck, which in our opinion is better than the traditional Tuscan use of a hare. Moreover, the deep fried, exterior of wafery bread reigns in the intensity of the truffle infused sauce. A glass of red wine wouldn’t go amiss with this dish.