What makes the white truffle special
The white truffle, botanically Tuber magnatum Pico, grows underground in symbiosis with the roots of certain trees, such as oaks, poplars, limes and willows. In Piedmont it is simply called trifola, and the person who hunts for it is a trifolau. The search is done with dogs, often at night or in the early hours of the morning. Unlike the black winter truffle, there is no significant cultivation; what comes to market is practically always found in the wild.
The tuber is ochre to cream in colour, irregular in shape and finely marbled inside. Its value lies in its scent: intense, earthy, with notes reminiscent of honey, hay, garlic or ripe cheese. This scent is fleeting, fading after just a few days, and it cannot tolerate heat. That is why white truffle is eaten raw, shaved paper-thin over a warm dish.
Season: from October into winter
When hunting is allowed is set by the regions in a calendar. In Piedmont the search for white truffle was permitted from 1 October to 31 January in the 2025/26 season. How much is found depends heavily on the weather: dry summers and warm autumns mean few tubers. In October 2026, after a dry year, traders at markets in central Italy reported considerably less produce than the year before.
White truffle does not grow only in the Langhe, the Roero and the Monferrato around Alba. In other regions too, such as the Marche, Emilia-Romagna or Tuscany, Tuber magnatum is found and traded at markets of their own. ‘Alba’ therefore stands above all for a market and a tradition. In a restaurant it is worth asking where the tuber comes from.
The international fair in Alba
The truffle trade has a long history around Alba. The Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba takes place for the 96th time in 2026, from 10 October to 6 December. At its heart is the Mercato Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba, a market in the old town where truffle hunters and traders offer their goods.
Important for buyers: the market works with a quality commission. Inspectors selected by the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo accompany visitors and advise them before and after a purchase. For non-experts this is a clear advantage over buying without expert guidance. If you take a tuber home, wrap it in kitchen paper, keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge, change the paper daily and use it within a few days.
A fixed date in the season is the Asta Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba, a charity auction at the Castello di Grinzane Cavour. At the 26th edition on 9 November 2025, the most expensive lot, a triple-lobed truffle from the Roero weighing 1,009 grams, fetched €110,000, knocked down in Hong Kong. In total around €500,000 was raised for charitable projects. Such sums are donations with symbolic value, not market prices.
How the price comes about
White truffle has no list price. It is traded by weight, and the price per kilo depends above all on how much a season yields, and on the size and condition of each tuber. Large, compact specimens cost considerably more per gram than small or damaged pieces, which are harder to shave.
For a sense of scale: at the beginning of October 2026 the daily newspaper Il Resto del Carlino quoted prices per kilo in Alba of around €2,000 up to €4,500 to €5,000 for the best pieces. At the market in Savigno in Emilia-Romagna, top quality was accordingly at €3,800 to €4,000 per kilo, after €3,000 to €3,500 the year before. Arithmetically, one gram thus costs about €2 to €5 to buy, before a restaurant takes labour, risk and margin into account.
- Harvest: dry years shrink supply and push prices up.
- Size: the heavier the tuber, the higher the price per gram as a rule.
- Shape and firmness: smooth, firm tubers without insect damage fetch more.
- Freshness: with every day the truffle loses scent and weight.
White truffle in a restaurant
In a restaurant the truffle is usually shaved at the table with a dedicated truffle slicer. Many restaurants show you the tuber first and let you smell it. It is charged either as a fixed supplement per dish or by weight, in which case the tuber is weighed before and after shaving. Before ordering, ask how it will be charged and what quantity is planned. That is customary and not impolite. If the tuber is fresh, a few grams are enough for the scent to carry the whole plate; more truffle does not automatically make a dish better.
The scent shows best on simple, warm, rather rich bases that carry it without masking it. A Nebbiolo from the Langhe goes well with it, such as a Barbaresco or Barolo with a few years of bottle age.
- Tajarin, fine Piedmontese egg noodles, with butter
- A fried egg or uovo in camicia, a poached egg
- Fonduta, a cheese sauce made with fontina
- Risotto, finished with butter and parmigiano
- Carne cruda all’albese, raw, finely cut meat
Black or white: the differences
The fine black truffle, Tuber melanosporum, called tartufo nero pregiato in Italy, is a winter truffle; in Piedmont its season began on 15 December according to the 2025/26 calendar. It is black outside, dark with pale veins inside, and smells less pungent, more of forest floor and mushrooms. Unlike the white truffle it tolerates warmth and releases its aroma well in gently heated sauces and fillings.
There are also cheaper kinds: the summer truffle Tuber aestivum, called scorzone in Italy, with a mild, nutty aroma, and the bianchetto (Tuber borchii), a pale spring truffle with a garlicky scent. Both are products in their own right, but no substitute for Tuber magnatum. If the menu just says ‘truffle’, ask which kind it is and whether it is freshly shaved or made with truffle oil, which is often merely flavoured.
- White truffle: raw only, autumn to winter, intense and fleeting
- Black winter truffle: raw or gently heated, deep and earthy
- Summer truffle: mild and considerably cheaper
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for white truffle?
The season begins in October and in Piedmont runs until the end of January. Around the fair in Alba, from 10 October to 6 December in 2026, the supply is especially large.
What does white truffle cost in a restaurant?
That depends on the season’s market price and on the restaurant. In autumn 2026, according to press reports, prices per kilo were roughly between €2,000 and €5,000; before ordering, ask whether it is charged by weight or as a flat supplement.
Can white truffle be cooked?
No, heat destroys its aroma. It is shaved raw and paper-thin over a warm dish.
How can you tell a fresh white truffle?
It is firm, not spongy, and smells intense. Soft spots and a weak or musty smell count against it.
