Vices

Giuliano Tartufi Truffle Powder

An innovative and easy way to upscale every meal. Truffles symbolize elegance and luxury. Their savory, umami flavor adds depth and complexity to any dish they touch. Zia Pia, an importer of regional Italian foods, prizes authenticity above all else — if they’re going to import it, it has to be like what you’d find at a market in a small Italian town, or something a family member would make for you. Authenticity is of the utmost importance. So when it came time for them to find the perfect Italian truffle powder to bring to the world, they went to Giuliano Tartufi.

Given that tomatoes emigrated to Italy from North America, it seems appropriate that the most authentically Italian canned tomatoes and tomato paste that we’ve tasted actually come from America — California, to be precise. Bianco DiNapoli certainly sounds Italian, but in fact it’s named after its founders, Phoenix- based Chris Bianco and native Californian Rob DiNapoli. DiNapoli’s family has been growing and processing Californian produce for more than 80 years, while Bianco is a renowned chef, and the first pizza maker, or pizzaiolo, to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest. In 2010, the pair teamed up to form Bianco DiNapoli and share with the world the finest organically grown tomatoes Northern California has to offer.

Giuliano Martinelli, the founder of Giuliano Tartufi (Italian for “truffles”), has been collecting truffles for more than 40 years, beginning when he’d forage on the way to the factory where he worked. In 2001, he founded the company that bears his name. It’s not an easy endeavor, which is reflected in the their scarcity. There’s no technology to enable foolproof truffle hunting. Only licensed tarfufai are allowed to collect truffles, and the primary tools for doing so are dogs who have been trained to sniff out their pungent aroma, along with specialized hoes designed to extract the fungi. Truffles are a forest-based type of mushroom, found near the roots of certain trees. While they can’t be planted and farmed, there are controlled areas called tartufaie, where truffle-friendly trees are planted and the conditions are right for them to grow. Giuliano Tartufi gets its truffles from Pietralunga in Umbria, an area of wild woods surrounded by unspoiled nature.

The Spolverata di Tartufo (Truffle Powder) in this box is a beautiful, flavorful and convenient way to use Italian truffles. The truffle-based seasoning livens up a wide range of dishes, from snacks like truffled popcorn to pasta sauces to fish, meats, and vegetables. A little seasoning goes a long way, thanks to its powerful and intoxicating flavor — a light sprinkle during cooking, and perhaps another dash before serving, brings forth the glorious earthy essence of fresh truffles... in powder form.

Easy to use and hard to resist, Spolverata di Tartufo has won numerous awards for culinary innovation. Try it once and you’ll see why. And see what other authentic Italian delights await you at ziapia.com.