Piemonte Italia

Fonduta al tartufo

There is an authentic “dealing room” around which composer Gioacchino Rossini, expert of typical Italian products like gorgonzola and panettone Christmas cakes, was defined as the Mozart of mushrooms. Prices vary according to the trend of the seasons: between 300 – 500 € per hectogram – we are on the same level as Beluga caviar and approximately a gram of gold. A delicacy that, along with oysters and champagne, were never lacking at the great Casanova’s table. Like chocolate, the truffle was an aphrodisiac in ancient civilizations. Romans advised it be cooked under the embers to then be eaten with honey. During the Medieval Era, people feared it was poisonous and it has only been in the past two centuries (with its subsequent diffusion in the courts of the nobility) that an authentic truffle “cult” was revived. Giacomo Morra knew this well. He was crowned the King of the Truffle in the 1930’s by the London Times. He was a chef and hotel owner from Alba and the first to associate the white truffle to the city of Alba in an indissoluble manner by starting up an effective advertising strategy. While Italian tourism could barely take off, truffles bearing the “Morra” label departed for the tables of powerful people all over the planet, with an enormous, positive image feedback. The Morra operation also offered an important, positive local outcome: new specialised professions pertaining to research, commercialization and the conservation of the truffle are formed…not to mention those pertaining to cuisine. What really counts in the end is the particular formation of the terrain that bestows upon the Tuber Magnatum Pico – the scientific name given to this variety of the Alba white truffle – its unmistakable fragrance.
In order to safeguard the quality of the product, the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo di Alba (National Alba White Truffle Study Centre) was founded in 1996. This centre analyses the truffle’s fragrance, collecting gastronomic experiences and organizes seminars and sample sessions. Over 100 judges specialised in sensorial analysis act upon the markets in especially assembled commissions of certification in order to guarantee the product’s absolute quality: Alba’s Mercato del White truffle remains the only one that is guaranteed, with a careful analysis of the soundness and typology of each commercialized product. For those who wish to see the truffle first-hand, all he or she has to do is go to the Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di Alba (National Alba White Truffle Fair), one of the world’s most prestigious and anticipated events related to fine food and wines since 1928. In recent years, the activity on the market culminated in a benefit auction where the “bulbs” reached astronomical prices: up to 100,000 € for an 900 gram truffle. The truffle is the regional product that characterizes and homogenizes a territory extending from the Langhe, Monferrato and Roero areas to the hills in the province of Alessandria. The most famous cities and towns are: Alba, Bra, Asti, Montechiaro, Montà, Canale, Castagnito, Monforte d'Alba, Ceva, Mondovì and Acqui Terme.