Italy Holidays - Event

France is famous for its black truffles, but they pale into insignificance next to the superior white truffles (Tuber Magnatum Pico) of Alba. The Piedmontese town attracts some of the world's greatest chefs for the annual International White Truffle Fair.

Selling at no less than £1600 per kilo, these exotic white clods have an unsurpassed reputation on the international culinary circuit. The event includes a truffle auction (by invitation only), a truffle market and a truffle fair.

At the auction, it is not uncommon for some of the invited super-chefs to spend between £500 and £1000 each on these white cauliflower-like funghi.

The market, with white truffles and a whole host of truffle-related produce, takes place at weekends in October and on the first weekend of November from 9am-8pm. The fair, on the other hand, serves as a showcase for Piedmontese speciality foods.

"White diamonds", as they are sometimes called, carry a distinct musky flavour that can enhance omelettes, fresh pasta or risotto. A Piedmontese butter sauce and the richer Piedmontese equivalent to the Swiss fondue, fonduta, benefit from the truffle too, and we haven't even started on the wonders of truffle oil, truffle butter, cream and paste or even rice...