Italian Word of the Day: Tartufo

Meaning: Truffle

Part of Speech: Noun

Translation: The chef added a bit of black truffle to the pasta.

Context: Lo chef ha aggiunto un po' di tartufo nero alla pasta.

Cultural nugget: While black winter truffles get most attention, spring truffles (tartufo bianchetto) are harvested in May in regions like Tuscany and Umbria. Truffle hunting with specially trained dogs is a centuries-old Italian tradition protected as cultural heritage.