There’s no doubt that there is only one way to celebrate the Alba White Truffle: at the table. This is why, the star of the table at the Unusual Dinners of this 90th edition is The Alba White Truffle, and we want to help honour it in the best way possible.

The Alba White Truffle hunting

Being hunted from late summer thought out autumn, there are no cultivation techniques for the most wanted culinary prize: The Alba White Truffle. A truffle- hunter is a truffle- lover, passionately searching for this valuable hypogeum fungus. He will go hunting into the woods with his dog (and the dog’s experienced nose) and it will not be satisfied until he can finally hold this precious treasure in his hand.

Alba White Truffle life cycle’s takes place in the earth and to produce the precious sporocarps, truffles need no attention to grow, however, they could only be found in certain areas which are treated with agronomical loving care. Truffle’s pale yellow peridium and its rounded shape, are unexciting at first but its uniquely flat and irregular body comes in variable in size. The inside is a display of different shades of milk, antique, deep pink and pale browns. Truffles live in symbiotic relationships with certain trees, and these mysterious plants demand a delicate environmental balance to be maintain thought-out the year.

In the heart of the historic center of Alba, the largest truffle market in the world returns, the hub of a fair dedicated to safety and quality
The focus of the 90th edition of the Fair will be, also for this year, the World Market of the Alba White Truffle, hosted as usual inside the Cortile della Maddalena. In the heart of the city, within the historical central area overlooking Via Vittorio Emanuele II, enthusiasts of the most precious fruit of this land will be able to discover
its scent and secrets every Saturday and Sunday of the nine weeks of the Fair, with the additional special openings on Monday and Tuesday December 7th & 8th.

THE WORLD MARKET OF THE ALBA WHITE TRUFFLE AND THE CULINARY EXCELLENCE OF ALBAQUALITÀ

The undisputed symbol of the Fair and its culinary excellence is renewed in form, but its substance is more than confirmed, with the World Market remaining the ideal location to discover the extraordinary heritage truffle of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero, as well as a perfect place to appreciate and buy the finest specimens of Tuber magnatum Pico with controlled and guaranteed quality.

In fact, the International Alba White Truffle Fair applies a rigorous selection protocol for the fresh product for sale. Every year the Municipality of Alba appoints a commission composed of experts who draw up the rules to regulate the sale of the truffle, rules that all the sellers present at the Fair (the “trifulau”, in Piedmont dialect, as well as the “hunters”, but also the merchants) must comply with.

And so every day, before the opening of the World Truffle Market, the sellers present their truffles to the judges of the Quality Commission, who perform an accurate sensory analysis by selecting only the products suitable for sale which, at that point, are counted. and weighed. In order to effectively control the characteristics of the product, the Quality Commission delivers a special numbered bag, to be used compulsorily for the sale of each truffle, for each truffle that passes the control.

To celebrate the 90th Edition Dinners in the best possible way, a special event will take place on November 13th at the only Three Michelin Star restaurant in the Piedmont area, with an exclusive event that will feature Enrico Crippa at his “Piazza Duomo” in Alba

In order to guarantee the realization of the event in full compliance with anti-Covid regulations, as well as to protect the safety of visitors, of those who work to organize the event and of the entire territory, quota measures will be applied at the entrances and body temperature will be checked by thermoscanner. To further protect the participants, the traditional tensile structure will leave room, for this year, for a completely renovated installation of over 2,000 square meters, with an open-air solution that will guarantee adequate spacing, and usability even in the case of bad weather.

Antonio Degiacomi, President of the National Center for Truffle Studies, says: “The big news this year will concern the ways to use the Alba White Truffle: the International Alba White Truffle Fair will be the leader in the application of the procedural guidelines adopted by the Piedmont Region to regulate the use of the White
Truffle in all the fairs dedicated to it, within the regional borders. A dedicated commission has in fact defined the specifications for a purchase method ensuring the complete protection of both the buyer and seller, while assuring that handling and smelling the product will be carried out in total safety: the truffles will then be placed in a special glass container, equipped with a lid in silicone specifically for food, to ensure the usability of the product to avoid possible risks “.

Among the events confirmed, within the Cortile della Maddalena, you can find the food and wine revie AlbaQualità which, as the name suggests, offers an exhaustive and complete panorama of the Piedmont food and wines offered. Particular attention is paid to the artisanal production of the area, with a choice of products for tasting and to buy, a tasty souvenir of your visit to the International Alba White Truffle Fair.

A specific area is also reserved for tasting the wines of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato offered inside the Grande Enoteca by AIS Piemonte, the regional section of the Italian Sommelier Association. Inside the World Market of the White Truffle of Alba, as per every year, you can also find the Alba Truffle Show. This is a space dedicated to cooking shows hosted by great chefs, to workshops, to the Sensory Analysis of the Truffle. There are also opportunities to discover other regions through the excellence of their food and wines, as well as experiential paths to allow visitors coming to Alba from all over the world to make a journey through the flavors that best represent the Italian “bella vita”.

When possible we encourage you to have a memorable Italian dining experience, supporting local restaurants in your city this November.

If at home, be inspired and celebrate the magic of The Alba White Truffle by enjoying a memorable Italian dining experience .