What is the best method for preserving the genuine black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) aroma? An olfactometric and sensory approach

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of different preservation methods (freeze-drying, hot-air drying, freezing and canning) on the aroma profile of T. melanosporum truffles. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were extracted by solidphase microextraction (SPME) and analysed by gas-chromatography olfactometry to monitor changes occurring in key-aroma compounds. Samples were also submitted to descriptive sensory analysis by a panel of trained judges, with the aim of correlating both sets of data. Freeze-drying − and to a lesser extent hot-air drying − were the only treatments able to retain key-compounds such as dimethylsulphide (DMS) and dimethyldisulphide (DMDS), evoking the aroma typically associated with fresh truffle. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the descriptive data showed the sensorial proximity between fresh and freeze-dried truffle, and also the differences between them and those frozen and canned. Despite some differences in the odour volatile profile of fresh and freezed-dried truffles (mainly the lack of 2,3-butanedione and branched ethyl esters), freeze-drying is the most suitable technique for preserving the overall original aroma of fresh truffle. Several key-odour compounds − mainly unsaturated linear chain carbonyl compounds, sulphur and pyrrole derivates − emerge as biomarkers of the studied technologies.

Hypobaric Packaging Prolongs the Shelf Life of Refrigerated Black Truffles (Tuber melanosporum)

“…Black truffle ( Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) is a mushroom known for its unique and characteristic aroma [ 2 ], which is exploited in gastronomic preparations. Black truffles are also a valuable and expensive food specialty (up to 600 Euro/kg in Italy, data reported from , accessed on April, 2020) and the demand in the food market is steadily increasing [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

LC-MS-Based Metabolomic Approach Revealed the Significantly Different Metabolic Profiles of Five Commercial Truffle Species

“…Tuber melanosporum is the most highly appreciated black truffle due to its unique and intense fragrance. It is mainly produced in countries along the Mediterranean coast, such as Italy, France, and Spain, and commands a very expensive price in the edible fungus market (Bertault et al, 1998; Campo et al, 2017). Tuber indicum is also a black truffle species that is phylogenetically and morphologically close or similar to T. melanosporum , and it is one of the major commercial truffles in China (Zhang et al, 2019).…”

Food Choice and Fitness of Folsomia candida (Collembola, Isotomidae) Fed on Twelve Species of Truffle

“…Truffles exhibit their maximum sensorial properties when fresh. With a shelf-life of 7-10 days, truffles quickly lose their flavor intensity and start to spoil (Campo et al, 2017). Recent studies by and Splivallo and Ebeler (2015) show that bacteria associated with truffle-ascocarps and sulfurcontaining volatiles, such as thiophene derivates, contribute to truffle aroma.…”

“…Furthermore, Heděnec et al (2013) found that the fitness of F. candida strongly depended on the litter type rather than on fungal species. Truffles could play a crucial and interesting role here, since their presence influences the biochemical and physical composition of soil, especially in the rhizosphere, where they interact with soil fauna (Callot, 1999;Ricard, 2003;Granetti et al, 2005;García-Montero et al, 2012;Mello et al, 2013;Menta and Pinto, 2016). The genus Tuber, representing ectomycorrhizal fungi, produces hypogeous fruiting bodies that release secondary aromatic metabolites as adaptive strategy to attract feeders.…”