Truffles vs. truffles: What do you know about these famous luxury foods?

Mushroom or chocolate? What’s the deal with truffles?

So… This is a truffle.

Image: ulterior epicure/Flickr

And this is a truffle. Huh?

Image: Lizzy/Flickr

Luckily Whole Foods is here to answer some questions about the differences (and similarities) between the two, so that next time a recipe calls for truffle oil, you aren’t trying to squeeze a chocolate candy of its juice.

For instance, did you know that the chocolate truffle is actually named after the truffle mushroom because of their similar shapes? I had no idea!

Or that truffle mushrooms have been prized since the time of the ancient Greeks, but chocolate truffles are a relatively new invention. It’s thought they were created in 1895 in France.

Or that these days, truffle mushrooms are hunted by dogs, not pigs. Apparently pigs like the truffles a little too much and had a nasty habit of snacking on their pricey finds.

There’s more cool stuff about truffles (both kinds!) on this infographic. Take a look at all the truffle facts within, and next time you’re out to dinner, you can wow all your friends with your newfound knowledge.

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