White truffles. You've read about them before and you'll read about them again, but is there really any substance in all the fuss currently surrounding them? Aren't they just another means by which the super-rich and would-be celebrities can show off?
Well, there is more than a spore of truth in that. Their fantastic expense, extreme scarcity and ridiculously short shelf-life almost guarantee that any significant purchase of them will prick the media's interest. The present frenzy started in November 2004, when New York restaurateur Francesco Giambelli paid $41,000 for a single white Tuscan truffle weighing not much over a kilo. Just a few weeks later, he was upstaged at a charity auction when a smaller Tuscan truffle was sold for $52,000 to a secretive consortium said to include Mick Jagger, Roman Abramovich, Paul McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow. They were bidding in London against the likes of Bono, Mel Gibson and Elle Macpherson in New York. The fabled truffle went on display in Zafferano's window in London for a few days, but then - so the delicious story goes - it went off in the restaurant's refrigerated safe.
Another charity auction last year went even further. There, a pair of truffles weighing 800g and 400g respectively raised a whopping 95,000, before being served at a gala dinner in Hong Kong. That works out at £53 a gram - compared to Fortnum and Mason's best foie gras at 40p, Beluga caviar at under £4 and cocaine at around £50.
Expensive tastes
Still, with a texture and taste something like grated hazelnut, but far softer, earthier and sexier, the white truffle is by no means all hype. So what can you do if you've somehow acquired a taste for that unmistakable tingle on the sides of your tongue but don't have the bank balance of a superstar? Simple: you hop on a cheap flight to Turin during the truffle season (mid-October to early December), rent a car for a couple of days, and head south to Piedmont's Langhe region, booking in at one of the charming and affordable hotels to be found in each of its many hilltop villages.
Not that truffles are exactly cheap even here - but they are within the means of most people prepared to take a deep breath. Besides, the gastronomic attractions of the Langhe extend far beyond truffles. Alba's daily "World White Truffle Market" also sells any amount of delicious local produce, from cheeses, porcini mushrooms and homemade sausages to chocolate and nougat. There is also a wide variety of wines: scope out the soft red Dolcetto d'Alba, a crisp Roero Arneis white, or a big, full-bodied Barolo, the king of all Italian wines.
On this season's market, fresh white truffles are selling for between 220 and 350 per 100g, depending on the size; the bigger the truffle, the more you'll pay per gram, as the inside is the best bit. Local black truffles, meanwhile, are between five and 10 times cheaper.
Go even 100km away and you can pay up to twice Alba's prices. That's why every weekend sees a queue stretching out of the door of Ratti Elio, an Alba deli specializing in Langhe foodstuffs. Not that proprietor Mario Bardino will sell you anything if he thinks you're not going to treat it properly.
"Freshness is everything, especially with white truffles," he explains. "They start losing their flavour from the very first day, and are worthless after ten days, even if you look after them carefully. So if I think you're not going to eat it straight away, then no, I won't sell you a fresh truffle someone else has been waiting for all year."
He will sell you a jar of white truffles, however, (expect to pay around 50 for a 25g jar) which will keep for a year or two, or the truffle-flavoured oil which can do so much to inspire a risotto.
Heaven scent
Bardino has seen more and more people come to Alba during the truffle season in recent years. This year's dry summer, however, means the truffles have been scarce so far this season, and everything now depends on a wet autumn. The porcini mushrooms, though, appear more robust: they were overflowing onto the street when I was there, selling at up to 20 a kilo.
How white truffles get to market here is shrouded in mystery. Suffice to say that men (always men, apparently) and their truffle hounds go out at night to known truffle hotspots, usually armed with a gun. Darkness isn't just a convenient cover for secretive behaviour, though: it is also when the truffles' scent is strongest.
Their earthy, intoxicating smell is also used to judge the quality and freshness of individual specimens. If you buy truffles in the market, the "quality commission" can certify your purchase for you: just make sure you ask for one of the official numbered bags when you pay.
Going the whole hog
Unless you're a specialist, of course, the real trick is to have someone do the buying and cooking for you, and there's little that can beat having a simple lunch or dinner in Alba during autumn. Most places, from the simplest pizzeria to the smartest starred restaurant, will put fresh porcini and truffle dishes on their menus - and there's something wonderful about eating a 25 pasta dish with fresh white truffle grated over it knowing that the same dish could cost you up to 600 in London.
If you have time - and a willingly teetotal driver - it's also well worth taking a trip to any village enoteca (wine-tasting bar) in the area to taste some of the Langhe's enviable wines. Look out not just for the famous Italian names, but also the newly-created Langhe DOC, which often comes from tiny, local productions.
I'd particularly recommend Boffa, in Barbaresco, which opens from time to time for tastings on its lovely terrace overlooking the river valley below. I'm not sure how many wines we sampled, or how much free parmesan and home-made salami we got through, but the half-dozen wines we bought - for between 5 and 17 a bottle - made us glitter like genuine glitterati - truffle or no truffle.
Way to go
Getting there: BA, easyJet and Ryanair all operate daily direct flights from London to Turin - BA from Gatwick, Easyjet from Luton and Ryanair from Stansted. Lowest prices are in the region of £30-£70 return, including all taxes and surcharges. Alba is 80km from the airport. If you want to visit the hilltop villages you will also need to hire a car.
When to go: The truffle season starts in mid-October (precise dates vary depending on the weather), and runs through to the beginning of December. The Langhe is also beautiful at pretty much any time of year, although it can get a bit damp in the depths of winter.
Where to stay and eat: Although Alba is the heart of the region, many of the nicest places to stay and eat are in the villages around it. There's lots of good information at langheroero.it, including prices and details for all accommodation and food options. You can also try langhe.net, which has a direct link to the local weather, and particular special offers of the moment.
Recommendations go to the Hotel Barolo and its renowned Brezza restaurant in Barolo, with double rooms a steal at 75; the Vechio Tre Stelle 3km out of Barbaresco, with doubles at 100; the Corte Gondina in La Morra, with doubles at 125; and La Contea in Neive, which does half board only at 90 per head.
The lovely Belvedere restaurant in La Morra does a stunning menu in season with six white truffle courses in a row for 160; if you just want a taste, then places like La Contea in Neive will add a white truffle dish to the standard menu for a 30 supplement (always check the price before you order).
· Piers Letcher is the author of Eccentric France, Croatia and Dubrovnik, and co-author of a new city guide to Zagreb, all published by Bradt Travel Guides.
