Prized throughout history by Greeks, Romans and Renaissance royalty, truffles remain a much sought-after delicacy. Labelled by French writer Mr Alexandre Dumas as the “holy of holies for the gourmet”, this edible fungus is enduringly enigmatic due to its subterranean growth in symbiosis with tree roots that elevates the work of truffle hunters to an art form. Each autumn sees the advent of white truffle season, which – running from October to January – provides chefs with a powerful, pungent new addition to their cooking arsenal.

“One of the most pleasurable things about being a cook is that every season offers up something magnificent and the great thing about white truffles is that they start to reach their peak just as everything else is a bit tired,” says chef Mr Jackson Boxer, who has developed a special white truffle menu at his Notting Hill restaurant Orasay. “As the earth dies back and fruit season comes to an end, truffles are the last thing to get really excited about; a compensation for the gloom of winter.”

Around 70 types of edible truffle exist worldwide but the greatest demand has traditionally been for black winter truffles and white truffles, which fetch premium prices that fluctuate massively according to supply. “Black truffles have a wonderful earthy quality that carries through well, but are never absolutely extraordinary,” says Mr Boxer. “But white truffles – in their scarcity and aromatic potency – are an entirely different beast. Over even a simple bowl of steamed rice, a few shavings are absolutely transformative.”

At Quo Vadis – where, this autumn, guests are able to add market-price white truffle to a menu that includes fresh tajarin pasta, pork chops and potato gratin – a truffle’s freshness is crucial for head chef Mr Jeremy Lee. “I’m looking for a magnificent perfume and it must be very firm – any sense of yield and it means the rot has set in. When sliced they must be very white, as the darker they are the more they’ve aged and oxidised,” he says, before highlighting his admiration for those who hunt the rare tubers. “We’re such a sanitised species now and there’s often a Presbyterian horror in getting down on your knees and hunting for something covered in dirt. There’s a great skill to finding them in good condition – it’s a skill on a par with good bread baking or charcuterie making.”

Luckily, Mr Boxer and Mr Lee both share an expert supplier in the form of Wiltshire Truffles founder Mr Zak Frost, who imports truffles from around the world. “Truffle hunting is an ancient skill and remains the same as it has always been: it’s just some trees, a man and a dog,” he says, dispelling the myth that pigs are still used in the process before noting how the provenance of truffles is evolving. “Many people still think that white truffles come from Alba in Italy and black truffles from Périgord in France, but actually those regions produce only a tiny fraction of the truffles we eat and they’re not necessarily the best.” Black truffle farming has advanced considerably – particularly in Spain and Australia – contributing hugely to increased yields and quality, while white truffles, which cannot be farmed and are dependent on adequate rainfall, are equally prevalent in other regions of Italy, as well as forested regions across eastern Europe.

White truffle shaved over scrambled eggs is a breakfast staple across each of these regions, a pairing of two ingredients that Mr Ollie Dabbous at Hide describes as perfect bedfellows. “The earthiness of the truffle is best infused in something rich and creamy; this both lengthens the taste and rounds it somewhat, taking the edge off its pungency,” Mr Dabbous says, as his restaurant introduces white truffle dishes to the menu. “As such, egg dishes are often the best and simplest to showcase the pricey tuber, which lends a gastronomical edge to this much-loved nursery dish. As a rule of thumb, truffle is best paired with everyday ingredients rather than other luxury items.”

The addition of truffle flavouring to many everyday products in recent years – think honey, popcorn and mayonnaise – might be seen to have devalued and demystified a product so associated with luxury. Yet Mr Boxer is quick to point out the difference between these “confections” and the real thing: “There is now a ubiquity of truffle flavour, but the difference between that and fresh truffle is incomparable,” he says. “More and more people are realising that white truffle oil has never seen an actual truffle in its life – when confronted with the real thing, there’s no going back.”