So, what makes truffles so alluring, not only to humans, but to other animals and insects? People have always prized the aroma and flavour profile of truffles, with evidence going back thousands of years of their use as valued food items. But just what is it that makes them so aromatic and delicious? Researches have delved into the science of aroma and discovered that truffle species contain large numbers of different volatile aromatic compounds (VOCs for short). Not only do different truffle species have slightly different compounds, but there are shared aromas across truffle species. According the the scientific paper cited below "The characteristic aroma of truffles vary from mild to intense, and range from earthy, cheese, pungent, garlicky, leathery, vanilla-like, dusty, creamy to gasoline like ..." Truffles will also have different aromas depending on maturity, climate, growing conditions, and the varying microbiome in the soil. It's endlessly fascinating! For those of you who are interested, here is a link to a great paper from 2020:
'An Overview on Truffle Aroma and Main Volatile Compounds' https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmolecules25245948