White Truffles in England

[MobyP]

Having only returned back here in the last year, I'm interested if anyone has any good contacts - other than restaurant wholesale and Harvey Nichols - for white truffles this winter; bad season and weather aside.

Maybe I'll be able to scrape one together for a meal...

All help appreciated!

[Jon Tseng]

Booths in borough market stock them when in season

Thinks its around 1000 Euro or 1000 pounds a kilo last year. Prices likely to be up this year though due to the weather

cheerio

J

[Matthew Grant]

Last year a single white truffle was coming in around the £20 - £25 at Booths, I dread to think what the price will be this year but will report back after I visit on Saturday.

[Jon Tseng]

Comment in this months Restaurant Magazine white truffle season will be short and pricy due to weather. Apparently black truffles may not be as badly affected as lots of them are semi-cultivated nowadays (sic)

J

[Jonathan Day]

And this week's Borsa del Tartufo -- see www.albatartufi.com, where you can sign up for these e-mail updates -- says (my loose translation):

Summer truffles, EUR 450.00 per kg; indicative price for specimens of 20gr, price expected to rise.

By now, customers have started to become aware of the shortage of product on the market and also of the alternatives -- frozen, in brine, or simple substitutions of things other than truffles -- that help people cope with their needs for fresh truffles in times like these. Current prices remain unchanged from last week, but it is tough to guess how prices will behave as the first week of the White Truffle Fair begins.

White Alba truffles, EUR 3000.00 per kg, indicative price for specimens of 20/25g; price expected to rise.

We are in the week before the start of the national White Truffle Fair of Alba. Those in the business ask themselves how the market will react to high prices, especially in a time of economic downturn. At the same time, good product remains difficult to find. Thus, contrary to what we forecast last week, the price hasn't risen in accordance with the expected increase in demand. Only from Monday, as the fair begins, will we be able to take a view on price, based on demand in the first few days of the fair.

[MobyP]

I love egullet.

[Matthew Grant]

Just back from Borough Market, Booths won't be getting White Truffles until next month!

[Jonathan Day]

And the white truffle price continues to rise. Today's quote from the Borsa del Tartufo (www.albatartufi.com) is EUR 3,800 per kilo.

The White Truffle fair is under way, and sales in the first week were not unusual, but there is steady demand (and increasing prices) especially for speciments of medium-to-high quality.

[MobyP]

JD - do you remember what the equivalent price was this time last year?

[Jonathan Day]

I have only received the Borsa prices since early this year, after the white truffle season closed. They also track black truffles, summer truffles and a few other variants.

But a little eGullet archaeology turned up the following, which I posted in October of last year (but very early in the season; the post was referring to a visit in late September):

I found truffles at Borough Market, priced ... at £1000 / kg. At around the same time Stefano Cavallini was selling slightly larger ones for £1600, and Carluccio even larger ones at £2000.

.

About five years ago I remember buying a white truffle from Carluccio for £2400/kg. At the time, the prices in France and Italy came out to USD/EUR 2400, thus reinforcing the "dollar equals a pound" principle of shopping in Britain, which fortunately no longer holds as much as it did.

Riva, in Barnes, used to have lots of white truffle dishes in season. I haven't checked to see whether they are offering them yet.

[shilly]

Good Italian delis will do white truffles to order. I have bought them from Lina Stores in Brewer street in the past.

[Jon Tseng]

latest restaurant mag es.s £2600/kg

[MobyP]

The River Cafe are doing taglierini w/ w. truffles at £38 for 5 grams and a whopping £75 for 10 grams.

Blimey, and then some.

[Jon Tseng]

OK, thats £7500/kg if my maths is right (assuming you get the pasta for free, which you bloody well should at that price)

Sounds like they're taking the piss, given the prices we've seen

sad, really

J

[MobyP]

No no -

the white truffle's still a perfectly reasonable 2500 quid a kilo.

It's the taglierini that's 5000 quid a kilo!

The parmegiano is entirely complimentary, however.

Edited October 17, 2003 by MobyP (log)

[Jon Tseng]

[MobyP]

Popped into Harrods today, and sidled up to the counter. The very nice gentleman showed me his selection, opening up the tupperware box, and unwrapping each truffle, and the whole of the room was immediately filled with that smell. Ah, it was beautiful.

How much, I goes.

4,000, he says.

A kilo - I intone?

Aye, he sputters.

Argh, I cough.

Aye, he repeats.

He pulls one out, about twice the size of a golfball. I start thinking about what sort of overdraft I can afford, without my wife noticing and attacking me in the night with a sushi knife. My hand, like a cheap Hammer House of Horror flick, starts inching towards my wallet. My prefrontal cortex hangs a sign: out to lunch. No hope for rational thought. Feel myself quickly sinking. Shortness of breath.

How much, I whisper.

248 pounds, he announces chirpily.

Argh, I cough.

Aye, he sputters.

Sigh, I sigh.

[balex]

I just came back from Rome and there were NO white truffles displayed in the shops that normally have them.

Additionally a couple of restaurants that were serving them were charging 75 euros for the tagliatelle with tartufi. (as opposed to about 45 which is the normal price).

Given that they are probably of lower quality than normal, I decided against my normal plate or two and bought some better wine instead.