Truffles, along with foie gras and caviar, are beloved by gourmets as one of the three great delicacies of the Western world. There are many types of truffles, with over 100 recorded, but only 10 or fewer are edible, and they can be broadly divided into black truffles and white truffles.
There are five main types of black truffles: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Himalayan and Périgord, while there are two types of white truffles: Piedmont and Bianchetto.

The aroma of mature truffles is distinctive and sensual, and is said to be similar to animal pheromones. Historically, truffles have been considered an aphrodisiac since prehistoric times.