Truffles are the edible spores that grow on a subterranean fungus and are grown around tree roots in damp areas. They're often confused with mushrooms, but technically they are not the same species — Truffles grow underground, while mushrooms grow above. Traditionally female pigs were used for hunting truffles due to their refined sense of smell and because truffles contain a hormone found in the saliva of male pigs called androstenol. These days canines are typically used to locate truffles. Dogs, once trained, are less likely than pigs to eat the truffles once they sniff them out. Described as "the diamond of the kitchen" by French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, truffles are a highly prized food commonly used in French and Italian cuisine. The first black truffles to be grown in New Zealand were harvested in Gisborne in 1993.

Black Truffles have a complex flavour that has been described as earthy, musky, floral, and exotic. Each truffle has its own unique flavour depending on its ripeness and where the truffle was harvested, not unlike wine.

Originally grown in France and Italy, truffles are now cultivated worldwide, including on the west coast of the united states, Australia and New Zealand. Black truffles grow in symbiosis with a host tree, commonly an oak or hazelnut, attached to the tree’s roots

New Zealand Black Truffles are in season from June - August