This is Monty’s third year truffling. Last year was quite the bust but we’re more than making up for it so far this year!

We’re infusing butter, cured egg yolks, and Parmesan. Also pictured is some infused heavy cream on tea 🥰

Record-breaking Truffle: Up to 5,000 Euros per Kilo, a Rush Resembling the Gold Rush The shortage of the product does not slow down the boom of the Fair

by Marcello Pasquero , Oct 12, 2026

The Alba Fair kicks off the season for the highly prized tuber. This year sees record prices due to climate change. Reaching its 96th edition in 2026, the event, which opened on Saturday, runs until December 6.

The paradox of Alba's autumn lies entirely here: the white truffle is scarce, but its economy is not backing down. On Friday, October 9, the ceremony at the Teatro Sociale inaugurated the 96th International Fair, open to the public from last Saturday until December 6. On stage, alongside Giovanni Malagò, Valentina Vezzali, Federico Pellegrino, Alessia Maurelli, and Leonardo Bonucci, the theme "Authentic Relationships" linked sport and major events. Outside, in the woods of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato, the decisive match remains the one against the climate for a product that requires low temperatures and rain to form. The hottest summer ever, three dry months, few thunderstorms, and hard ground have reduced the quantity, size, and quality of the first finds. Scarcity is driving up prices. Initial benchmark figures gathered among foragers and operators indicate the white truffle at around 5,000 euros per kilo, with peaks of 550 euros per 100 grams and an upward trend.

The black truffle is also at historic highs, fluctuating between 700 and 1,000 euros per kilo, and could reach close to 1,500 euros. These prices do not discourage tourists, who have crowded Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato; since last week, it has become nearly impossible to find a room in any lodging facility.

The 42 Million Euro Fair

A study on the impact of the International White Truffle Fair estimated the economic spillover for the province of Cuneo at over 42 million euros. A turnover 141 times higher than the public expenditure for the Fair, which amounts to 299,500 euros. High-spending tourists account for about 20% of the fair's attendees, mostly consisting of international tourists and domestic day-trippers. Minimum daily spending in this case amounts to 185 euros, at least 76 euros of which is spent on food and wine products. Maximum daily spending exceeds 500 euros among domestic tourists, who nevertheless stay on average at least one day less than international tourists—the latter still exceeding 450 euros in daily expenditure.

"The response to the shortage of product," argues Axel Iberti, president of the Fair Board, "cannot be purely commercial: we must work on the foundations, from education in schools to biodiversity, from research to planting new trees. Together with the trifolao (truffle hunters), over a thousand have already been planted. The objective is to combat soil erosion, rebuild woodlands, keep truffle grounds open, and transfer skills to new generations. Only in this way does the event become a great cultural platform, capable of keeping the territory alive year-round and engaging in dialogue with Vinum." "On a Piedmontese scale," Iberti adds, "the autumn supply chain is worth about 250 million euros and involves 11,000 workers. The Fair is therefore economic infrastructure: it attracts international demand, extends the tourist season, and transforms Alba into the gateway to an area that thrives on wine, landscape, and gastronomy."

Mario Aprile, president of the Piedmontese truffle hunters, confirms: "Truffles are scarce and not yet of top quality, but the appeal of this product is not waning—quite the opposite. The number of licensed truffle hunters is stable at 4,800 in the Region. Women are on the rise, now representing nearly 15%, as are young people. However, we all need to understand that fewer vineyards and fewer hazelnut trees are needed in Langa if we don't want truffles to come only from Roero, Monferrato, or the rest of Piedmont."

A Difficult Year

Antonio Degiacomi, president of the National Truffle Study Center, describes a complicated start to the season: "The year has been difficult. Rain has finally arrived, and we hope the situation improves as the season progresses, but there were very few thunderstorms. It is a problem affecting all of Italy."

Prices this high, Degiacomi warns, also impact the dining sector: "Truffles are consumed by the gram, but if the price rises too much, it puts restaurants in difficulty and risks becoming a product reserved solely for an elite. That is why we must ask ourselves what to do." An initial response came from the "Tuber Next Gen" conference, set to be replicated across the provinces: "We want to make regional policies and best practices developed with the IPLA known. Planting trees is not enough: they must be maintained, land must be kept clear, and constant care must be provided. The roughly 300,000 euros collected from license fees go back to landowners as compensation so they keep trees accessible to foragers: 20 euros a year for certain species, 18 for others, and 12 for hazelnut trees. European funds are also available to restore and rebuild tree lines." Alongside maintenance, Degiacomi highlights research: "We are studying soil bacteria and yeasts to understand where favorable production conditions are created. We also guarantee product quality and verify its true origin."

Got it for free at some bougie event at my grad school. Insane truffle flavor, and there is a ton of truffle flakes in it. I wonder how much its worth!

What should I do with it besides drizzling it on pizza? Also, what’s the best way to store? It’s in the fridge now because I’m not sure how perishable it is.

Some culinary inspo for truffle season.

Buying fresh truffles for the first time and realizing I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing 😅

So far I’ve been told to check:

smell

firmness

weight/density

exact species

harvest date

Anything else you’d look for before buying?

Also curious how much origin actually matters compared with freshness and maturity. I see people talk about regions a lot, but I’m wondering if species + how recently it was harvested are more useful things to pay attention to.

Would love to hear from anyone who actually buys or cooks with fresh truffles regularly.

I always assumed black and white truffles were basically interchangeable except for the flavor.

Apparently not lol.

I was reading about this recently and finally understood why you see winter black truffle actually incorporated into warm dishes, while white truffle is usually shaved on top at the very end.

Black truffle seems to be more forgiving with gentle heat, so it works in things like sauces, butter, eggs, etc.

White truffle has a much more volatile aroma, so prolonged heat can basically mute the thing you paid all that money for. Makes way more sense now why people shave it over hot pasta or risotto right before serving.

Curious how people here actually use black truffle at home though.

Butter? Pasta? Eggs? Sauce? Something else?

Random thing I started doing recently: checking the ingredient list on anything labeled “truffle.”

I honestly never used to do this lol. If it smelled like truffle, that was good enough for me.

But there’s actually a pretty big difference in how products are labeled. Some tell you the exact truffle species and percentage, some just list truffle somewhere in the ingredients, and others focus more on added flavor/aroma.

Now I find myself immediately looking for the % when it’s available.

Not even saying higher automatically = better, because obviously the recipe matters too. I just like knowing what I’m paying for.

Curious what everyone else looks at when buying this stuff. Truffle percentage? Species? Origin? Ingredients?

Or do you just buy whatever tastes good and not overthink it 😂

Just got this pound of burgundy truffles. I got a process them into half ounce units for sale at the local farmers market.

Hi! Are these still edible? I forgot about these truffles in the back of the fridge and now they kind of remind me of Old Drippy, which leads me to think they might be delicious with ranch...please advise. I don't want them to go to waste

Found this under an evergreen oak on our property close to Agen. Could this be a summer truffle? Looks spoiled unfortunately.

For context, the property next to us has a neglected truffle plantation and some of the trees still have burn patches where you can clearly see similar truffles / mushrooms coming out the ground.

I am selling truffles in Dubai. These are the truffles that I have found in Turkey with my dog in my holiday.

Bought these summer truffles three days ago (says they expire in seven) they were a bit soft, the one i grated turned to a semi paste, they smelled like porcini mushrooms.
I mixed the paste with butter and put it in the freezer.
Thanks!

My name is Chris! I’m a gourmet mushroom farmer. Here’s some truffles that came across my desk at work.

It is cut in halfsies. The inside yellow is a root it was growing around. Its not really fleshy. The white spots are individual and separable. Only smells like soil.

Any help appreciated!

I live in Oregon, the valley between Salem and Portland. My neighbor has hazelnut orchards I go out into once in a while and set traps for ground squirrels, he pays me per a squirrel I catch. While I was out there I was digging a hole to open it up a bit and came across this. I have read they can grow around hazelnut trees. To me it looks like an old one that's no good, but it smells delicious and reminds me of a mushroom. Any info about what I have is appreciated

I’m sure this has been asked before but I’m looking to do an authentic white truffle hunt when I’m in Alba/Piedmont in November. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Would love some advice on how to store truffle to keep its integrity for as long as possible, as in how to storage or what products to turn it into that may for long its life, any advice will be helpful TIA