It was exalted as divine food by the ancient Athenians, who adored truffles so much that they gave the citizenship to Cherippo’s sons for inventing a new truffle recipe; but considered as the excrement of the devil and witches in Medieval times. According to the ancient scientist Avicenna, it was a cause of apoplexy, paralysis and of fat and atrabilious humours, while Platina defined it as “a very nutrient food…an aphrodisiac”.
As Molière denounced in one of his comedies, truffles were seen as ambiguous creatures. They were synonymous of hypocrisy and trickery, because of the contrast between their rough appearance and their extraordinary flavour.
Ancient philosophers and historians considered the truffle as a constant object of curiosity. The tuber has also been at the core of disputes and hypotheses among well-known thinkers like Savonarola.
In the next pages we will try to satisfy all your curiosities about the truffle, telling you about popular beliefs and historical information about its crop and taste.
