Get your truffles from your local gourmet shops or specialty stores. Of course, you don t need to go hunting for truffles in the forest. That s too time-consuming and laborious a task, unless it s your hobby. When shopping for truffles, smell them to check their odor intensity and freshness. Truffles that have been stocked for a long time gradually lose their strong smell. You need some techniques to make sure that your truffle is in best condition and your truffle recipes will stand out. Here are some helpful tips on buying and storing truffles. Buying Truffle Ask the vendor or sales clerk to make a small slice out of the truffle so that you can view its meat and judge if it is in good condition. Others use truffles in various types of sauces to make the dish tastier. Because of its unique taste and smell, producers of specialty cheeses also use truffles during production. Aside from using it as a main ingredient, truffles are also used to make oils. Truffle oils have been a practical substitute in using fresh truffles. If you can find something yellowish, beige, or reddish brown that resembles a potato, you might be just lucky because that s a truffle! For many centuries, dogs and pigs have been trained to hunt truffle mushrooms. Their distinct ability to sense the strong smell of these mushrooms makes these animals a perfect fit for the hunting job. They usually sell oaks and hazelnut trees which are inoculated with Black Perigord or Black Burgundy truffle, or whatever variety will be grown. How are the trees inoculated? The tree seedlings are dipped in mycorrhizal fungi slurry. Given the right conditions and care, the truffles could be harvested in about six to ten years. Know where to locate truffles Of course, not every forest has truffles underneath it. These mushrooms grow only in humid and warm climates. In Europe, for example, truffles can be found mostly in the forests of Italy and France. In America, you can find them in the forests of Washington and Oregon. 2.