Tuber magnatum is the white truffle of Piedmont, Italy, the most coveted of all edible fungi. Its skin runs from white — occasionally veined with pink — through to grey-brown, the shade depending on which tree’s roots host its mycorrhizal partnership. Diners eat it raw, shaved over eggs, pasta, risotto, salads, and other gentle warm dishes at the last moment, because heat kills the volatile compounds behind its wild, garlic-like perfume. Superb aroma plus scarcity equals extraordinary prices, and the short autumn hunt with trained dogs is part of the legend. Fraud with lesser species and synthetic aroma makes authentication a serious commercial issue.