Truffles were in the news lately, when a 26 ounce white truffle was sold for $208,000 at a charity auction in Hong Kong. The word truffle has many meanings, but when food lovers talk about truffle season, they're referring to a type of underground fungus tuber found growing close to trees, and highly prized as a food product. There are many varieties of truffles, with white truffles being most expensive, followed by black truffles. Many cooks also love truffle oil, although all but the most expensive varieties often contain synthetic truffle flavor.

There is no doubt about it, many people are mad about the flavor of truffles. If you've never tasted anything using truffles, here are some thoughts from food bloggers all over the world.

More About Truffles
At EyeItalia I found a great article about Italian White Truffles, and why they are becoming more rare. Chef Hari Nayak writes about Truffles and Truffle Oil at his blog.

Get Them At the Source if You Have a Chance
Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once recently spent a few months in Italy, and had a chance to attend a truffle festival where she tried the famous Umbrian White Truffles pictured in the photo, which she savored shaved over scrambled eggs. Haalo also had Umbrian Black Truffles, used in Black Truffle Risotto. Haalo gives a great description of why truffles are so special.

Blogger Maki from Just Hungry also has a great post about visiting the biggest truffle market in Provence. Maki shares how to clean, prepare, and eat truffles, and a fabulous sounding recipe for Pommes Anna with Truffle.

Jocelyn at the beautiful Kuidaore was lucky enough to have a gift of some black truffles brought to her from Italy, and she created an assortment of delightful truffle recipes.

Christine from Christine Cooks discovered a local goat cheese made with bits of truffle that rocked her world.

Pasticciera from the blog Bella Vaita View in the Piedmont region of Italy has some photos of visiting a truffle festival in Montiglio, as well as some information about types of truffles.

Be sure to do your homework before you invest in truffles, because French Laundry At Home has a disappointing experience buying fresh truffles in the U.S.

Truffle Oil May Not Be Authentic, but It Tastes Good
As I mentioned, some cooks are suspicious of truffle oil, since it often has synthetic truffle flavor. If the truffle oil you purchase or see for sale is not really expensive, without a doubt it's not the real thing. Still, whether it's authentic or not, many people find a little drizzle of truffle oil can make otherwise ordinary foods taste wonderful. If you'd like to try the flavor of truffles and won't be traveling to Europe to get the real thing, there are plenty of recipes using truffle oil that sound good.

Whipped makes Truffle Oil Pizza with Mushrooms and Fresh Mozarella.

In a post with lots of good links to truffle information and more recipes, Elise from Simply Recipes has a recipe for Roasted New Potatoes with Carmelized Onions and Truffle Oil.

At Fresh Approach Cooking, Rachael makes Brie Stuffed Farro Arancini with Truffle Oil.

Who would turn down Garlic Truffle Fries from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen?

A very different use of truffle oil is the Lemon Truffle Biscotti from Lara at Cook and Eat.

Ilva from Lucullian Delights lives in the heart of Tuscany, and her dish of Artichokes with Parmesan and White Truffle Oil sounds fantastic.

Kirsten's Home Cooking has Proscuitto, Basil, Parmesan, and Truffle Oil Flatbread.

Finally, Amy at Nook and Pantry makes Truffle Scrambled Eggs, a dish her husband loves even though he doesn't usually care much for plain scrambled eggs.

Blogher Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen. She's thinking of trying some roasted cauliflower with truffle oil, thanks to a generous gift from one of her favorite food bloggers.