Fresh white truffles in October - in Paris?

[trufflelover]

I'll be in Paris mid-October. The same time two years ago I had my first truffle experience, in Alba. Please pardon my ignorance, but will it be possible to have something with fresh white truffles in Paris during Italian truffle season?

I emailed Le Maison de la Truffes and they said they have only truffles in jars in October.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide to this truffle-addict.

[John Talbott]

I'll be in Paris mid-October. The same time two years ago I had my first truffle experience, in Alba. Please pardon my ignorance, but will it be possible to have something with fresh white truffles in Paris during Italian truffle season?

I emailed  Le Maison de la Truffes and they said they have only truffles in jars in October.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide to this truffle-addict.

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Welcome to both of you; the picture on your site alone convinces me you'll have fun here.

Ah, Paris vs Alba in October. Nope, no comparison, at least truffle/festival wise. In Alba one has that spendid truffle market that sort of engulfs the entire town that week in October and I can still smell them from where I parked near the bridge. Here, I'm sure the big guys get them, but unless you want to schlep south and buy 'em off the back of a truck, there's no such event that I know of. However, our intrepid Events/What's Happening Specialist Felice will be posting the October French happenings in September so there may be hope.

There is (besides the Maison de la Truffe,) a place in Paris called Un Jour a Peyrassol that I wrote up a while back that calls itself a bar of truffles; it's worth a visit. But believe me, all starred restos use truffles as well.

At the risk of provoking some Franco-Italian brouhaha, I would posit that French chefs consider French truffles superior but I recall best an all truffle lunch 50m from the Po as it rose after flooding that was a not bad meal at all.

At the risk of getting too off topic, I will say, however, that almost anywhere in Europe is best in October, France at the top.

Have fun.

PS I would suspect that one could also have very fine Italian white truffles at Mori, a place I also loved.

Edited by John Talbott to add the PS

Edited August 17, 2006 by John Talbott (log)

[trufflelover]

Thanks for the welcome. I've been too intimidated by the knowledge here to post before, but when it comes to tracking down truffles, well, I had to take the plunge sometime.

I liked your writeup of Un Jour a Peyrassol and will plan to check that out.

I don't think anywhere starred is in the budget, sadly - we ate at Charlie Trotters (my first visit to a temple of haute cuisine) last month, and that's pretty much our one big splurge for the year. Though, hmmm, if we don't take the Rungis tour we're planning, that bit of the budget could be moved from the sightseeing to the eating column for a start.

I'll definitely check back next month to see what's coming up in October. I agree, it will be a great time to be in Europe. Then again, when isn't?

[John Talbott]

Thanks for the welcome. I've been too intimidated by the knowledge here to post before, but when it comes to tracking down truffles, well, I had to take the plunge sometime.

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You know, I was just talking (read emailing) about that with Felice; I watched (read lurked) and read and waited for months on eGullet, before I put my toe in the water. Who were these people who knew everything about Paris, had eaten everywhere and could cook anything? But guess what? We're all human (well, almost human, we're so food-obsessed, we probably would be classified as outside the solar system, like poor Pluto almost was, or as rapacious animals).

As for the tour of Rungis. That might make a nice new thread/question. Me, I like watching the food guy (David Martin) on FR 2 in the AM on Telematin (it's available on their site), he goes to Rungis every other month or so and satisfies my need to see acre upon acre of peaches. I would guess one could do it for less than a tour company might charge and indeed put the money toward food itself (by the way truffles on anything in Paris doubles the price - Dominique Bouchet himself stands at the border between the kitchen and salle and shaves off the product, that's how precious it is.) However, in the spirit of history and celebration of the advantages of aging, there will never be (again) the glory of Les Halles, from the noise to the onion soup to the rats.

But back to the topic - truffles in October - what think others?

[Dave Hatfield]

Fully agree that white truffles in Paris in October are going to be pretty hard on the budget - if available at all. You might want to try black truffles instead; still expensive & still a bit too early in the year for them, but you might just luck out and get something pretty good.

Here's a true truffle story that may amuse you.

Some years ago I set up a dinner at a very upmarket restaurant in Berkely with two sets of friends. Now, both of these guys were very successful and both were great lovers of their food and, not suprisingly, both had huge ego's. I wanted to see what would happen when they met and we talked food.

Well, I got the results I had hoped for. Lots of spirited conversation, lots of clashes of opinion and lots of oneupmanship. Eventually, after quite a bit of wine, the conversation came around to truffles and whether the black or the white were best. Friend #1 (no names to protect the innocent) swore by black French truffles. Friend #2 swore by the white truffles of Alba. He went on & on about how when he lived near Alba they did so & so & such & such with the white truffles. He went on to say that he would have been able to prove his point if only you could get fresh white truffles on the West coast. At this point friend #1 quietly say's; "how many would you like? I'll have them delivered tomorrow." Friend #1 was the owner of the Oakville Grocery & had white truffles flown in every day during the season!

Friend #2 simply shook hands to admit defeat & ordered a good bottle of champagne.

Trufflelover, welcome to eGullet. Happy hunting; you'll have a great time in Paris in October!

[trufflelover]

Fully agree that white truffles in Paris in October are going to be pretty hard on the budget - if available at all. You might want to try black truffles instead; still expensive & still a bit too early in the year for them, but you might just luck out and get something pretty good.

Here's a true truffle story that may amuse you.

Some years ago I set up a dinner at a very upmarket restaurant in Berkely with two sets of friends. Now, both of these guys were very successful and both were great lovers of their food and, not suprisingly, both had huge ego's. I wanted to see what would happen when they met and we talked food.

Well, I got the results I had hoped for. Lots of spirited conversation, lots of clashes of opinion and lots of oneupmanship. Eventually, after quite a bit of wine, the conversation came around to truffles and whether the black or the white were best. Friend #1 (no names to protect the innocent) swore by black French truffles. Friend #2 swore by the white truffles of Alba. He went on & on about how when he lived near Alba they did so & so & such & such with the white truffles. He went on to say that he would have been able to prove his point if only you could get fresh white truffles on the West coast. At this point friend #1 quietly say's; "how many would you like? I'll have them delivered tomorrow." Friend #1 was the owner of the Oakville Grocery & had white truffles flown in every day during the season!

Friend #2 simply shook hands to admit defeat & ordered a good bottle of champagne.

Trufflelover, welcome to eGullet. Happy hunting; you'll have a great time in Paris in October!

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Great story! I've never had French truffles, and would like to someday so I can compare. I got my education about them from "A Year in Provence."

[Judith Gebhart]

I'll be in Paris mid-October. The same time two years ago I had my first truffle experience, in Alba. Please pardon my ignorance, but will it be possible to have something with fresh white truffles in Paris during Italian truffle season?

I emailed  Le Maison de la Truffes and they said they have only truffles in jars in October.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide to this truffle-addict.

←

As an equally dedicated lover of truffles, black or white in France, Italy or Spain, I know that during October Italian truffes are not available. You need to push your visit to mid-November or later to enjoy first hand the alba/white truffle harvest. Judith Gebhart

[John Talbott]

Francois Simon has two articles on page 37 and a recipe dealing with white (Italian) truffles, including where to get and eat them in Italy and Paris (Sormani, Sassicaia, Mori Venice Bar, l'Emporio Armani Caffe + Stressa) as well as the Cooperativa Fra produtti di Latte, 108, rue St Maur in the 11th.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

It seems like a terrible season for truffle this year. Prices are particularly crazy (some markets at 9000eur/kilo). Mushrooms have already been very disappointing. If black truffle season does not save the day (which is unlikely with the dry soils we've had), we will save some money this year by skipping truffles altogether and hoping that next year will be better. At least that's my advice.

[John Talbott]

It seems like a terrible season for truffle this year. Prices are particularly crazy (some markets at 9000eur/kilo). Mushrooms have already been very disappointing. If black truffle season does not save the day (which is unlikely with the dry soils we've had), we will save some money this year by skipping truffles altogether and hoping that next year will be better. At least that's my advice.

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I promise to report back on the White Truffle situation from Alba/etc in 3 weeks. Mind you, I'm not a truffle nut, but I'm interested.

Ciao.