Black truffles have been around since time immemorial. There are two kinds of black truffles, the white ones (Tuber Vulgaris), and the dark browns (Tuberculococcaceae). The latter belong to the genera Tuberculococcum, Geocarpus, and Leuconococcum, but they are often confused with those belonging to the Tinea nigra family.
A truffle is essentially the fruiting body of ascomycete fungi, mainly one of the family Tuberculococcaceae. Other genera of these fungi include Geopora, Tuberculococcum, Peziza, Chlorophyllum, Peyronie's disease, and a few others. It has been used for medicinal purposes since Roman times. Ancient Chinese herbs used in medicine include Tuberculococcum, Geocarpus, Geolocarpus, Peyronie's disease, leukoplakia. In fact, it has become the principal ingredient in Chinese medicines, but there is a controversy as to whether or not its active ingredients can be absorbed into the body by the use of this herb.
Truffles are very tasty, and you will probably end up eating them more than just sprinkling them over your food. This is because they are high in acidophilus, which makes them ideal for appetizing, salty dishes.
Truffles come from several varieties that are cultivated worldwide, but the most popular varieties are the French, Italian truffles. These are usually very dry, and they are the ones that make excellent brines.
Truffles are available from online stores too, but in order to get a great deal, you should buy them in bulk from online vendors who ship them straight to you. They have lower overheads than traditional wholesale sellers because they don't have to purchase large volumes of their products in large quantities and then divide them among their customers. Most of them have websites that sell their products by volume. So if you order just a few pieces of truffles per box, you will get more than enough for a few months.
As for the salt itself, the best place to find truffles is at a local health store, where you can get them fresh off the plant and pick out the finest ones. You can also ask the people in the departmental store if they can send some to you, but the quality may be poor. So it would be better to get a handful of them in bulk at a local health store, and then ask if they will be able to send you more.
If you don't want to buy from a store, you could go to your favorite Internet retailer and find a discount price for black truffle salt that comes in a small box. You can also get them in a larger package from the same vendor so that you can try several flavors and compare the results.
There are a number of online retailers that offer discounts on these, but make sure that you check the return policy first before purchasing. The best online merchants will guarantee their product so that you won't regret the purchase!
Now, you could also look up some recipes where you can mix the black truffle sea salt with other ingredients to create delicious dishes. They are not too expensive at all, and you can find some delicious recipes online, as well.
To make the recipes more interesting, you could also add the garnishes that you love. For instance, you can use the truffles as a garnish for your salad. This way, you can be sure that the flavor will match your dish.
Also, you could give the salt to your loved ones with a surprise. And you can include some dried figs, dried orange peaches, or dried plums, or even dried raisins or candied orange peel on top of the salt. It's easy to do with this salty treat.
If you are looking for more ideas, there are websites that have a bunch of recipes that you can search on the Internet, and then you can make your own. Or you can buy a package of the best truffles in a gift basket, which will save a lot of money!