Truffles come in a wide range of varieties, with almost a hundred different species belonging to the Tuber genus. However, only a small fraction of these species are considered safe to eat, with many being toxic or possessing organoleptic properties that make them inedible.

In Italy, only nine species of truffles are legally allowed to be collected and sold, including all those considered edible. Out of these nine, six are considered the main types that are commonly found in the market. In the following paragraphs, we will delve deeper into the characteristics, regions, and harvesting periods of these six main types of truffles.

To distinguish between different types of truffles, the most commonly used method is manual organoleptic analysis, which is conducted shortly after harvest. The different types of truffles can be distinguished by their unique smell, taste, appearance of the outer peel (peridio), appearance of the inner fleshy part (gleba) and state of maturation. However, a less commonly used method is laboratory analysis, where truffle spores are identified through biomolecular analysis techniques.