What are chocolate truffles and how to recognize them

The history of chocolate truffles 

Just like many other important discoveries, truffles were created by accident—the exact date remains a mystery, but it’s believed to be sometime between 1890 and 1920.  

According to one story, the famed French chef Auguste Escoffier accidentally created them while working on a pastry cream. He mistakenly poured hot cream into chocolate instead of sugared egg, and the mixture became thick enough to form into balls. These are similar to the modern truffles we enjoy today, and their resemblance to the truffle fungus inspired the name "chocolate truffles." 

 

What makes a chocolate truffle a truffle? 

Hard to resist and beloved worldwide, chocolate truffles have an easily recognizable look and taste. You can identify them by their ball-like shape, which is dusted with cocoa powder and hides a sumptuously soft ganache filling. Usually, their shape isn’t perfectly round but more truffle-like—in fact, the word “truffle” translates to “lumpy” in Latin and reflects its appearance.  

What are chocolate truffles made of? All that’s required to whip up this enchanting treat is heavy cream and fine chocolate. Connoisseurs usually opt for the complex decadence of dark chocolate, which is rich in cocoa and allows the chocolate to melt effortlessly. Still, the other types of chocolate deliver their own kind of flavor magic. Milk chocolate is perfect for those with a sweeter tooth, while white chocolate creates the lightest and creamiest truffles—just be sure to use varieties high in cocoa butter to ensure a smooth truffle filling.  

Chocolate truffles should not be mistaken for chocolate; their textures are completely different. Top-quality truffles consist of a soft, smooth filling that’s slightly fudgy and irresistible. In comparison, the finest chocolate snaps when bitten into since it has been tempered.  

 

The different types of chocolate truffles 

Chocolate truffles come in a wonderful array of flavors and types. European truffles are usually crafted from sugar syrup, milk, and cocoa and are renowned for their butter-based ganache. If decadence is on your wish list, Swiss truffles are the richest and creamiest of them all, but they also have the shortest shelf life. American truffles usually combine dark and milk chocolate with the unique addition of coconut oil—you can spot them by their larger, egg-like shape.  

The flavors that are infused into modern truffles have elevated the taste of these delicacies to another level. Popular additions are orange, mint, nuts, and liquor, such as champagne. Venchi’s cuneesi chocolates are an alluring mix of rich dark chocolate truffle and warm rum—the perfect way to experience a liquor-infused truffle. 

 

Discover Venchi's vast assortment 

Delight the senses with Venchi’s selection of Chocoviar truffles that make every moment special. Or why settle for just one? With our pick and mix chocolates, you can indulge in an array of flavors that offer something for every mood. 

For those who love the intensity of dark chocolate, our Chocoviar truffles are perfect, embodying all the depth of dark chocolate with a crispy 75% dark chocolate shell. Our assortment combines classic and sophisticated flavors, inspired by the true art of pâtisserie. 

Our Crème Brulée truffles selection is filled with a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth caramel cream that reminds of the sophisticated simplicity of the famous French dessert with every bite. 

Sophisticated nutty flavors are on full display with our Chocoviar Crema Cacao truffles, that thanks to their creamy filling, made from cocoa and 45% locally sourced Piedmont Hazelnuts, deliver crunchy and soft all in one bite. If you’re looking for bold, creamy flavors, our Stracciatella truffles are perfect: they balance an irresistibly soft filling with a textured chocolate coating.