Vitelium White Truffle Cream, 50 g. Seasoning cream made with cream, Caciocavallo, and white truffles from Molise – creamy, vegetarian, for getting to know the product.
Vitelium White Truffle Cream, 50 g is a crema al tartufo bianco from Molise in southern Italy: cream, 13 percent Caciocavallo, a seasoning oil made from their own extra virgin olive oil with natural aroma, vegetable broth, wheat flour, and 4 percent white truffles (Tuber borchii and Tuber magnatum Pico). Creamy, savory, and vegetarian, in a 50 g jar. Not a pesto, not a mushroom paste, not a drizzling oil – a cheese-truffle cream for risotto and pasta.
White Truffle Cream from Vitelium is a seasoning cream in which white truffle meets Caciocavallo, a pasta filata cheese from Molise. Pasta filata means "spun paste": the cheese curd is kneaded and stretched in hot water, like mozzarella, and then aged into a flavorful cheese. Cream and vegetable broth turn it into a cream, wheat flour binds it, and the seasoning oil from their own olive oil carries the truffle aroma. Two types of truffle are in the jar: the Bianchetto (Tuber borchii) and a portion of Tuber magnatum Pico, the white truffle for which Molise is known in autumn. Sunday evening, a risotto on the stove, guests at the table. A spoonful of cream at the end, and someone asks where the truffle came from.
Flavor
The cream first tastes of cheese and cream, then the truffle arrives, and it lingers. The Caciocavallo provides a savory, slightly salty note that reminds one of aged mountain cheese. The cream makes everything soft and round, the vegetable broth adds a subtle sweetness of carrot and onion.
The white truffle smells different from the summer truffle found in tartufata: sharper, spicier, with a garlic-like note. There are real truffle pieces in the jar, and the seasoning oil with natural aroma ensures that this fragrance remains even after heating. The olive oil itself comes from Vitelium's own groves and adds a fine green note.
The consistency is that of a thick sauce: spreadable on bread, liquid enough to disperse in a warm risotto. Those expecting a cream consisting half of truffles should read the label: four percent truffle carries the flavor, while cream, cheese, and broth provide the richness. It is precisely this mixture that makes it suitable for everyday use.
Usage
Risotto is the first option. Cook a simple risotto with onion, broth, and butter, and stir in a heaping teaspoon of truffle cream per portion at the end. You will hardly need any parmesan then, as the Caciocavallo in the cream provides the seasoning. Our recipe for truffle risotto shows the steps.
For pasta, mix two tablespoons of cream with a ladle of pasta water and toss your tagliatelle or gnocchi in it. This makes a restaurant-quality sauce in five minutes. It also pairs well with ricotta ravioli or potato gnocchi, with a few sautéed mushrooms on top.
Served cold, the cream is a vegetarian spread: on toasted white bread with arugula, on crostini for an aperitivo, or in a sandwich with grilled zucchini. Add a teaspoon to scrambled eggs or an omelet just before the eggs set, and your Sunday breakfast gets a hint of truffle. You can also add the cream at the very end to baked potatoes, cauliflower, or roasted pumpkin.
Heat the cream only gently and at the end: it belongs in the finished dish, not in a hot frying pan. Once opened, place the jar in the refrigerator and use it within a few days. Store it in a cool, dark place while unopened.
Our tip: For a quick dinner for two, cook 200 grams of tagliatelle, sauté a handful of mushrooms in butter, and stir in half the jar of cream with a little pasta water. Pepper, a few drops of white truffle oil on top, and it’s ready. The other half of the jar is enough for two crostini the next day.
Origin
The cream comes from Provvidenti, one of Italy's smallest villages, in the province of Campobasso in Molise. The region south of Abruzzo lies in the Apennines, and its mountain climate and wild forests produce truffles. The white truffle is part of the traditional local cuisine there. The Caciocavallo also comes from Molise; Vitelium calls it a typical mountain cheese of the region.
Vitelium is an Italian manufacturer with an office in Hamburg. Dr. Davide Petrollino, a plant biologist from Campobasso with ten years of research at the University of Ferrara, handles cultivation and production on-site. His wife, Constanze Engelbrecht, manages Vitelium GmbH from Hamburg. The truffles are supplied by Angelo, a truffle hunter friend from the neighboring village who trains his own dogs. The olive oil in the seasoning oil comes from their own groves, including a small grove with centuries-old trees that Davide inherited from his grandfather.
The olives for this are harvested by hand starting in mid-October when they are still green, brought to the mill within six hours, and centrifuged at under 27 degrees. The truffle creams are produced every year starting in October, parallel to the olive harvest. The groves are cultivated without fertilizers or pesticides.
Who it is for
The 50 g jar is the introductory size. It is enough for a risotto for two or a pasta meal for two with two crostini the following day. As a gift for dinner at friends' houses, it is an alternative to a bottle of wine because the hosts can use it to cook for themselves over the weekend. Those who use the cream more frequently should reach for the White Truffle Cream in a 90 g jar.
If you prefer it vegan, choose the truffle pesto from the same company, which uses mushrooms and summer truffles. You can find more jars in our Savory Spreads category, and all products from Molise on the Vitelium page. Davide and Constanze tell the story of how they came to olives and truffles in our interview.
Note: The cream contains milk, celery, and wheat (gluten) and may contain traces of soy and tree nuts. It is vegetarian. It is not suitable for those who eat vegan or avoid cheese.
A White Truffle Cream with Caciocavallo in a small jar – for that first risotto with truffle, a Sunday evening for two, and as a gift for hosts.
