In Bagnoli Irpino the black truffle is almost one of the family, and it turns up in the most unexpected places. One of them is a small glass: truffle liqueur, which we first tasted with a little suspicion and which surprised us with its aroma. Here is what it is.
A liqueur born in the woods of Irpinia
The official name under which the Campania Region has included it in its list of traditional agri-food products (PAT) is black truffle liqueur. Its home is Bagnoli Irpino, in the truffle-growing area of the Upper Calore Valley, in the province of Avellino. In the village it goes by its dialect name, "liquore 'r tartufu".
According to the regional listing, it has been made for a few decades: so it is not an ancient recipe, but a recent tradition born of the deep bond between the community and its truffle.
The star: the black truffle of Bagnoli
The main ingredient is the black truffle of Bagnoli Irpino, which grows in the woods of the Monti Picentini around the village. It is a truffle with an intense aroma and dark flesh, to which we have devoted a guide: The black truffle of Bagnoli Irpino. In the liqueur its aroma comes through immediately, as soon as you raise the glass.
How it is made
The recipe is simple in its ingredients but takes time:
- the black truffles are left to steep in pure alcohol at 90 degrees;
- the maceration lasts about a month;
- at the end a sugar solution is added, that is a syrup of water and sugar.
The resulting liqueur is light brown in colour, with a very strong and aromatic flavour and a high alcohol content, between 38 and 40 degrees.
When to drink it
It is a bold liqueur that not everyone loves at the first sip, but it wins over anyone who enjoys earthy flavours. We suggest drinking it after a meal, in a small glass and slightly chilled, following a dish of Irpinian cuisine such as Fusilli avellinesi. In autumn, perhaps after a day in the woods, it is the right way to end dinner.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
The right place is of course Bagnoli Irpino, with its stone-built old village. From here, head up to Lake Laceno and its plateau, and in autumn move on to Montella to discover The Montella IGP chestnut. For the whole province read Avellino and its surroundings; for all the region's protected products there is our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products. If you like traditional liqueurs, try Liquore Concerto too.
Sources: Campania Region, PAT entry “Liquore al tartufo nero”; Campania Region, PAT list of drinks and liqueurs.
Top photo (Bagnoli Irpino): Lukewill, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.