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A Michelin-starred Chef Just Bought This 2-lb. Truffle for Nearly $118,000! :-O

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Ah...the truffle...one of natures greatest, but hardest to find (it's on my 'bucket list' to obtain a nugget :drool:). Binoculars Icon.png

By Cailey Rizzo - Travel and Leisure - 23 Nov 21

Chef Umberto Bombana, of the Italian restaurant Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong, was the highest bidder.

"A gigantic 2-lb. white truffle just sold at auction for nearly $118,000. :a47:

Michelin-starred chef Umberto Bombana, of the Italian restaurant Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong, was the winner of the two-pound white truffle. He paid €103,000 ($117,795.64 USD) at auction.
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The bidding was held at the Castle of Grinzane Cavour during the [annual] International Alba White Truffle Fair in northern Italy's Piedmont region. Offers were accepted simultaneously in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, and Moscow, Cyprus' English language news outlet In-Cyprus reported.
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Although the white truffle is notoriously expensive, the price of this one was driven high by the craze of the auction (with proceeds going to charity organizations around Italy, according to the festival).

The prized truffle is a white tuber, one of the most expensive ingredients in the world. White truffles are much more rare than black because they cannot be farmed. They can only be found in forests, growing near the roots of trees anywhere from two to eight inches below the ground.

The tuber lives in symbiosis with the tree and, as it evaporates, it gives off an odor that can be detected by well-trained animals like pigs or dogs (and experienced hunters), In-Cyprus reported.
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It was reported earlier this year that the price for white truffles (also known as "white gold") hit an all-time high, selling for more than $4,500 per pound, according to The New York Post. The price increase is due to a dry, hot summer in Italy and also global supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Alba White Truffle Fair brings about 100,000 visitors every year to Piedmont from all over the world. At the fair, they can buy, sell or simply just smell the expensive delicacy. Chef.jpg

The truffle fair [continued] in Alba until Dec. 5 [21]".

Works Cited: White Truffle Sells for 118k

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"In [short], the truffle is the very diamond of gastronomy". Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
 
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TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Just last night, we watched a recently released documentary called "The Truffle Hunters" that takes a peek into the lives of assume of the guys that go look for (or used to go look for) white truffles in Piedmont. It was quite good!

It also peeked into the cottage industry behind the sales, and they showed a bit of the setup of the truffle auction like the one featured in the clip.

Check out the film if you get a chance. It's one of those that I didn't want to see end.
 

The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
Just last night, we watched a recently released documentary called "The Truffle Hunters" that takes a peek into the lives of assume of the guys that go look for (or used to go look for) white truffles in Piedmont. It was quite good!

It also peeked into the cottage industry behind the sales, and they showed a bit of the setup of the truffle auction like the one featured in the clip.

Check out the film if you get a chance. It's one of those that I didn't want to see end.
TexLaw:
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…I’m waiting for it to be at Redbox. 🙋🏾‍♂️

The Truffle Hunters

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The truffle is the very diamond of gastronomy". Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
 
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