For chefs and food enthusiasts, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it’s not because of the holidays; it’s because it’s truffle season. 2016 truffle season has been one for the books, and here are some of the highlights. With the vast amounts of precipitation in Italy, this year’s crop has been plentiful. It is truly a white truffle buyers market. The wholesale price of this year’s crop is 50 percent less than the prices two years ago. This year’s harvest was so impressive that it produced a 4.16 pound white truffle, the world’s largest, and ended up being sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $61,250.
White truffles are tuber fungi that typically grow underground predominately in two regions of Italy: Alba and Piedmont. They have also been known to grow in Istria County of Croatia. Typically these tiny treats grow around oak trees, but can also be found near beech and hazel trees as well. In the past pigs were used to find these hidden gems but this was outlawed because of pigs insatiable need to devour and destroy the white truffle along with its earthly womb.
Although the season is slowly winding down it hasn’t ended just yet so get out there and taste the truffles. You can purchase them online from the gormetfoodstore.com or head over to Sputino Wine Bar and Italian Tapas for their final weekend for their truffle dinner. Enjoy four courses that all incorporate some form of these tasty tubers into every dish, and if that doesn’t satisfy your craving shave some of piedmont’s finest right on top. Go for the full experience and add the wine pairing. Each course is perfectly designed to be coupled with some of Piedmonts finest wines. And like the saying goes; if it grows together, it goes together.
Buon appetito!
