Alba and White Truffel: a duo inseperably connected
The truffle hunters who will dig up the White Truffle of Alba with the help of their faithful four-legged friend will get all focus on their performance between 5 October and 30 January 2020.
Whether in the still very hot days, with temperatures of 25 degrees, there will be much truffle present is another question. Yes, an excellent vintage and the same truffle year never really go together.
This year the White Truffle will once again be very highly rated, starting with 250 € for 100 grams.
Facts about the White Truffel
The White Truffle of Alba, the tuber magnatum pico, is the most coveted of all and enjoys a massive international interest.
Almost always at night, far away from all indiscreet glances, the truffle hunter sets off on the basis of his notes from the years before.
Where he found the 26th of November a great one, he will probably also find a great one now. These are the laws of nature. With his map in his hand but especially with the sense of smell of his dog, the real winner at the end of the season, he succeeds in earning his annual income with barely 3 months of work. Are you jealous? Then start with the purchase of a specially trained truffle dog: it can cost you a lot (1500 € to 5000 € and more).
Where the best wines in the world are produced (Barolo-Barbareso-Roero Riserva) is also the most suitable terrain for White Truffle, less than 700 meters high. The roots of the plant need moisture, which is why rain showers are essential at the end of summer.
That's why the region of Alba, with the White Alba Truffle, is really very different from the truffles of other zones like Asti and Alessandria. That's what you taste most of all! Of course this is difficult to experience, because honestly: how many times will you sit with one foot in a restaurant in the Alba region and with the other in the Asti/Alessandria region?
Don't be fooled by White Truffel from somewhere else but Alba
What should you do to avoid coming home with something that doesn't look like what you could expect from a White Alba Truffle after a couple of hours? Make sure you don't buy a truffle with holes in it that might still have some earth in them. That earth weighs and after all you have a price to pay. Check if the smell on the whole truffle is really right and especially to check if the truffle is not overripe. A truffle that has been pollinated with corn farina to give it the right color is certainly a wrong purchase, and make sure that the truffle has not been reconstituted after a possible wrong way of extracting the prestigious gold from the ground. A truffle also needs to be clean, so you shouldn't find any trace of how it was taken out of the ground.
How to best keep your coveted "gadget"
The truffle is best kept in the refrigerator at 3 to 6 degrees Celsius, without being washed or cleaned. It is best to store it in household paper and in a glass jar. If the truffle is stored properly, you can enjoy it for 6 to 8 days. If the truffle becomes soft, it should be consumed immediately.
What price do you pay for a White Alba Truffel?
That depends on the conditions during the months before. Is there enough rain, is the underground of the truffle of sufficient quality, are the circumstances between taking the truffle out of the ground and selling it optimal?
A small comparison always expressed per 100 grams:
2005: a normal season with an average price of 250 to 350 €
2006: this year some 300 to 350 € were paid for the coveted good.
2007: a year of enormous scarcity, prices that go as high as 750 €
2008: a well-balanced season, about 350 €.
2009: repetition, balanced campaign, 350 €
2010: lowest point ever at 250 €, and everyone having the truffle because there is "abundance".
2011: upward trend... 400 €
2012: the black year, 600 € you have to pay for 100 grams
2013: a perfect year, only 250 €
2014: a year that since 2000 can be considered the best truffle year with 200 €.
2015: a particularly difficult year, enormous scarcity 400 €
2016: 300 to 350 €
2017: 450 to 500 €
2018: 350 to 450 €
And is there a dose of White Alba Truffle in the pipes for you this year, 2019?
What would you think of a weekend trip?
Interested, please let us know and ask for your quote via the contact form.
