Now, if there is one food festival in the world I would love to attend, it is undoubtedly the International Alba White Truffle Fair – triumphantly, this year will be the 84th year of these celebrations and what a charming affair!
If you want to typically personify Italians with their age-old love, exuberant passion and exceptional flair for world class food, this is the place to go. Alba sits in the northwestern region of Piedmont, bordering France and Switzerland and is a picturesque, enthralling landscape well-known for its expansive vineyards, hills and lakes – it is simply, Italy at it’s best.
The mountain hamlet of Alba is often been referred to as the “City of 100 Towers” and serves as an entranceway to the vine striped Langhe mountains; world famous for producing the finest Barolo Red. It was originally founded by the Romans and it’s historical centre remains till today, perfectly preserved inside the ancient, original walls. This is what makes it such a charming find, as 15th century churches and medieval houses still sit fortified within the natural boundaries of the crystal clear waters of the Tanaro and Cherasca rivers. Having stayed away for from rowdy tourist trail, Alba remains a discreet escape, sitting as peacefully as it always has over the centuries. Alba is also best known for its elegant wines, particularly the Ferrari of all red wines, the Barolo and of course, the reason for this entire article today, it’s exotic truffles. The precious truffles of this region attract the highest bidders from all over the world, and their delicacy is unrivalled, particularly the more rare white truffle.
The organisers of the festival promote this with unabashed pride….and why not?
‘The Truffle Market is the place to come to find out everything there is to know about the truffle, immersing yourself in a unique and headily scented atmosphere. Every truffle on sale at the market has been checked by a special commission before the market opens to the public, and this group of experts will also be available for consultation at the special designated areas inside the pavilions. The Truffle Market offers visitors the chance to see, touch and smell many, many truffles, sold directly by trustworthy vendors and local truffle hunters.’
I can smell the earthy, woody, mossy sweetness of the truffles and my mind is already saturated with images of feasting on Italian delights and savouring fine wines… Foodies are certainly spoilt for choice as local chefs descend on the visitors to showcase Piedmont region specialties, explaining their origins and how to prepare them. Every Saturday during the festival, a local culinary theme will be explored, paired with a great Langhe and Roero wine: fresh egg pasta, Piedmontese meat, traditional salted fish, the region’s PDO cheeses, rice and sweets… all reinterpreted and revisited by the areas celebrated Chefs.
Amidst, cultural performance, you can wander through the cobble stoned streets taking in the delights of local artisanal confectionery, tasting cheeses, egg pastas, cured meats and all the other food products that have brought international fame to this area.
There is also a very serious side to the business as this is regaled as a major event for which some of the world’s most famous chefs fly in for the annual truffle auction. The auction is an invitation-only event where the truffles can go for more than $1,200 a pound. It is reported that Italian White Alba Truffles will set you back about $160,406… The Associate Press reported that a real estate investor and his wife from Hong Kong have paid $160,406 for a gigantic Italian White Alba truffle which is reportedly the world’s most expensive, ever. The most expensive truffle weighs in 1.51 kilograms. This delicacy sits at the top of the most expensive food lists, followed closely by Almas Caviar where one tin will cost $25,000 and really amazingly, Yubari Melons and Dansuke Watermelons from the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido – the most expensive fruit in the world that come in at $22,872.
Setting aside the decadent pricing of the truffle and the fact that you may not have the odd couple of thousand dollars lying around to blow on this very humble mushroom….besides all that, this event is really well organised, but without the commercialisation that comes with so many of these fairs. With such a well preserved historical setting, there is very little that needs to be done to create an even more magical appeal, so if you are looking for some exceptional ‘food-turismo,’ with authentic cultural expressions, this is a festival that you need to make treks to….
My personal toast to this festival and seafood celebrations around the world from this time of year, is a wonderful recipe Insalata di Baccala – a heady, decadent combination of the sumptuous Black Cod lifted with Truffle….salute, salute, salute, one and all from Sandy!
Photo credits: all photographs courtesy of the Truffle Fair website.
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