The Best Places for Everything by Peter Greenberg

Author:Peter Greenberg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

TRUFFLES

Feel like elevating the fungal experience? Then concentrate on the coveted truffle. Both the black and white varieties are renowned in the culinary world as the “diamonds of the kitchen,” served shaved, diced, or infused into sauces.

Italy is practically synonymous with the pungent, delicate, and expensive white truffle (tartufo biaco), which becomes a star attraction in the fall. White truffles can be found in a handful of regions, but come October and November, the place to be is the Langhe region of Piedmont, Italy. Set smack in the middle of wine and chocolate country, Piedmont is a foodie’s dream come true. This is where the white truffle is most widely celebrated during the International White Truffle Fair in Alba. In nearby Roddi, you can participate in foraging expeditions, complete with truffle-hunting dogs. Or you can opt to stay an hour and a half away in Milan, where the Hotel Principe di Savoia (www.hotelprincipedisavoia.com [inactive]) will arrange a chauffeur for your own truffle hunt and a tour of the truffle fair, among other truffle-y dining experiences.

But if you want a less touristy option, my advice is to head to other parts of Italy where the quality of truffles isn’t as prized, but the experience is just as fun only without the crowds. In San Giovanni d’Asso in Tuscany, a truffle fair takes place the second and third weeks of November. This is where you can really mingle with the locals while shopping at food stalls and participating in truffle dinners in local restaurants. To get a hands-on experience, Asso Tartufi (http://www.osteriadellecrete.it/) can arrange a morning truffle hunt and tasting with an expert.

If you’ve never heard of the Marche region in Italy, you’re not alone. Located between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, this little-known gem is a great alternative to Tuscany, particularly for its culinary scene. The town of Aqualagna is prime truffle grounds. For a splurge, go to the Michelin-starred Symposium, an unassuming restaurant/inn that’s tucked deep in the woods on a country road. An Aqualagna truffle dinner here is an experience you won’t soon forget, especially because it’s paired with gems from the three-room, 25,000-bottle wine cellar. www.symposium4stagioni.it [inactive]

One of the youngest industries can be found right here in the United States, in Oregon, where the soil and climate are ideal for truffle growing. Oregon has only been in the business for a few years, but it’s certainly made a name for itself. Truffle season is in January, and the Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene is the place to experience these gourmet treats. This is a well-organized, 3-day event—the first of its kind in the English-speaking world—where you can get hands-on experience growing, cultivating, cooking, and eating truffles prepared by high-end chefs. The culinary apex is the Grand Truffle Dinner, which includes a five-course meal of native winter white and black truffles paired with Oregon wines. There’s even a truffle dog training seminar, where 20 pups can learn how to recognize Perigord and Oregon truffles and get to try hunting them in the wild.

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