An Italian white truffle weighing just 830 grams was sold for 103,000 euros at an auction held on Sunday (November 14) at the magnificent 13th-century castle of Grinzane Cavour.
The prized mushroom went to Hong Kong after an auction held simultaneously in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Moscow.
The white tuber, one of the most coveted and expensive ingredients in the world, was bought by the Michelin-starred Italian chef Umberto Bombana, who runs the “Otto e Mezzo” restaurant in Hong Kong.
The Italian north western region of Piedmont is known as Italy’s producer of this tubers that grow spontaneously in the earth in just a few regions of Italy and central Europe.
With their unique flavour and aroma, they are found two to eight inches below the ground near the roots of trees with which they live in symbiosis and as they evaporate they give off an odour which lasts for a limited period of time and can only be detected by the assistance of well-trained dogs and experienced hunters.
The historic International Alba White Truffle Fair attracts around 100,000 visitors each year from all over the world who come to the little town in Piedmont to buy, sell and smell the expensive delicacy that, unlike black truffles which can be cultivated on plantations, grows only naturally in forests.
