A truffle slicer is a kitchen tool used to cut or shave truffles, but can also be used for other foods such as cheese, chocolate, vegetables, and mushrooms. Truffles are expensive fungi that grow near certain types of trees and can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars per pound.
A truffle slicer is a kitchen utensil used to cut or shave truffles for use or include in cooked dishes and other preparations. These items are typically designed for use with truffles, but can often be used to slice or shave a number of different foods such as vegetables, other mushrooms, cheese, and even chocolate. Most slicers are made of stainless steel, and many feature a wooden, steel, or plastic handle and the ability to adjust the blade for thinner or thicker slices, depending on the application and desired size. A truffle slicer is often used by professional chefs who use truffles to accent a dish or by home chefs who use expensive mushrooms.
The most common shape for a truffle slicer is for the device to have a handle that you hold with one hand and a large head that is relatively flat. A second piece is attached to the head which acts as a blade and a truffle or other object is passed along this edge to cut or shave it. This blade can often be adjusted by allowing the screw that secures it to be turned, thereby changing the distance between the cutting edge and the flat head along which a truffle is passed.
Truffles are fungi that tend to grow underground, are symbiotic and grow near particular types of plants that produce the correct root system for truffle development. These types of trees include oak, hazelnut and pecan trees. Although some truffles can be found in the United States (USA), the most expensive and valuable types of truffles are the white truffles from Italy and Croatia and the black truffles from Périgord in France. Italian and French truffles can easily sell for hundreds or thousands of US dollars for a single pound (about 450 grams).
While a truffle slicer is primarily designed to be used for slicing truffles, allowing for thinner thin slices or shavings of truffles to use only small amounts in a dish, it can be used for other foods as well. The cheese can easily be cut into thin slices to serve with fruit as an appetizer or to make large thick slices to melt into a baked casserole or similar dish. A truffle slicer can also be used to shave the chocolate; creating thin, curled chocolate rolls that often provide a delicious and visually appealing addition to desserts.
Vegetables can be thinly sliced using a truffle slicer, although for more than a few slices a device such as a mandolin may be preferable for faster and easier cutting. Other types of mushrooms such as portobello or shiitake mushrooms can also be easily sliced or shaved using a truffle slicer. While these are typically not as expensive as truffles, these types of mushrooms can be used in several dishes and for fresh salads.
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