The Truffles in general are an expensive gastronomic delicacy to pay for. It is more than likely that if you have ever consumed a product containing them, it is not even close to a real truffle.
His high price is due to the fact that they are scarce and difficult to find. And among the 4 varieties that exist in cooking, the one that undoubtedly stands out is White truffle, the most expensive food you can eat after edible gold.
Its scientific name is Tuber magnatum Peak (in honor of the Italian mycologist Vittorio Pico, who classified the species in 1780), but it is commonly known as white truffleIt is a wild mushroom that grows only in the Piedmont region of Alba (Italy) and a small area of Istria in Croatia. However, it is not abundant even in these regions.
Its value varies depending on the season, which runs from October to December, but the The price of the white Alba truffle can be around $2,000 per pound (around 1,700 euros for 0.45 kilograms) and 4,000 dollars (about 3,365 euros), according to Francesca Sparvoli, co-owner of the truffle distribution company Done4NY, revealed to CNBC Make It.
“The white truffle is the most valuable because it is greatly affected by the weather and climate in a given season,” Sparvoli explained.
Coveted by culinary professionals for its striking aroma and distinctive flavour, every year huge sums are paid for this product at the Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco, held annually between October and November.
In 2010, an anonymous buyer from Hong Kong paid 90,000 euros for two extraordinary 950-gram pieces. In 2017, a bad year due to droughts, the The largest of the white truffles auctioned at the fair, weighing 850 grams, fetched 75,000 euros.
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According to the Truffle Farm portal, the The most expensive white truffle ever sold fetched $484,000 a pound (some407,172 euros), while the largest truffle ever sold was sold for $66,000 a pound (about 55,000 euros).
These are not the usual prices. Although they are now out of season, Gourmet Food Store was selling the cheapest white truffles last year at $4,375 a pound (3,680 euros).
A market, that of truffles, with an annual value that will grow to almost 6 billion dollars worldwide over the next two decades, according to estimates by Reuters.
Why is white truffle so expensive?
The factors that make this Mushroom is an exclusive delicacy suitable for only a few pockets They could be summed up in two: it is difficult to find and it grows poorly.
However, there are other factors to add to this. It is seasonal, so it is not available all year round. It also has a very short shelf life. The truffle quickly loses its properties.
The Alba white truffle grows spontaneously, in symbiosis with specific trees or shrubs. These areas are characterized by an extremely delicate environmental balance, which requires special attention and agronomic care.
Because it requires such specific environmental conditions, this food remains wild. There are no successful cultivations of white truffle.
As of today It is still being collected by hunters They use their dogs’ select sense of smell to detect it. And not just any dog will do. These dogs are trained for years; the demands placed on these animals are so high that there is an official university where they have been trained since 1880.
Reuters/Stefano Rellandini
When the time comes, after the summer, the truffle hunter and his dog go into the forest in search of this valuable fungus. Once he has sniffed it out, he is not done. The truffle must be collected with extreme care, as it is very easy to damage it.
This happens every year starting on September 21st, when it gives The Alba White Truffle harvest season officially begins which, according to the regional law, will be able to reach restaurants and markets until January 31.
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For those who are not familiar with it, it is round in shape, somewhat irregular, and is pale yellow or even ochre. From its appearance, no one would guess that you can pay thousands of euros for it. Its interior, crossed by white veins, shows different shades of colour ranging from a milky tone to deep pink or more brown.
Its earthy and musky flavor and aroma, according to those who have tried it, is often used to season dishes such as pasta or risotto.
For all this, This food becomes a “gastronomic diamond” every year highly prized by merchants and chefs.
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Tags: Food, Money, Curiosities