Truffles

[olivier]

It's probably too early for the melanosporum, but still, I'd like to know where one should buy them, especially for one who's in Paris and won't travel to Lalbenque, Richerenches, etc.

I bought some last year at "Terre de Truffes", but it was over-expensive and I'm not sure the quality was that good anyway...

[Ptipois]

La Maison de la Truffe, place de la Madeleine. At least you should find the first truffles there. The season is beginning BTW.

[Dave Hatfield]

It's probably too early for the melanosporum, but still, I'd like to know where one should buy them, especially for one who's in Paris and won't travel to Lalbenque, Richerenches, etc.

I bought some last year at "Terre de Truffes", but it was over-expensive and I'm not sure the quality was that good anyway...

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Too bad you won't travel. You could more than save the price of a trip.

My best advice is to try to buy i9n Limogne at the Friday market. Normally only one wholesaler shows up. He looks at & weights everything on offer then sets a price.

Once that's done, if you've been observant, you can approach one of the 'finders' who has roughly the quantity you want to buy & offer him the same price as the wholesaler. Normally they'l take it. Since most of those who show up are small finders the quantities aren't too large.

Lalbenque is a waste of time for the individual buyer. Its all over far to quickly and in far larger quantities than most of us can afford. You can, however, fly in as they have a very nice little airport!

Caussade isn't a bad second choice.

[Le Peche]

there is an italian deli stand inside of the enfant rouges market that sells white truffles. they say its from alba but i doubt it. they only have small ones, about the size of a chestnut that sell between 24 and 35 euro. they also throw in some truffle scented eggs in the purchase if you ask for it. the quality isn't good but i havent seen truffles for that price anywhere.

[Ptipois]

Lalbenque is a waste of time for the individual buyer. Its all over far to quickly and in far larger quantities than most of us can afford. You can, however, fly in as they have a very nice little airport!

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Besides, buying at Lalbenque is risky because you're likely to get a good proportion of Tuber brumale along with the melanospora and thus waste a lot of cash. There's no way to tell when you buy, you don't cut each truffle open before you pay for it.

Edited November 26, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[julot-les-pinceaux]

There is an Italian pasta shop, rue Lebon, that has not only the best fresh pasta in town but also does great and not über-expensive Italian truffles on order. It's called Via della Pasta, I think. Otherwise my experience is that buying truffles is best left to the pros. As I don't have the connections and don't want to overpay, I find that it is more reliable to eat truffle from truffle specialist restaurants who know not only how to buy them but also how to cook them. That would be Besson, Rostang, Savoy, Pacaud.

Also, Pébeyre has a website from which you can actually buy online. They're who most good chefs that do not have their own truffle connection trust.

[Ptipois]

Also, Pébeyre has a website from which you can actually buy online. They're who most good chefs that do not have their own truffle connection trust.

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I strongly recommend Pébeyre, Mr. Truffle Man. I don't think anyone knows more about truffle in Europe than he does.