Golden price for white truffles
A LOT of around 850g of white truffles was
75,000 sold for (RM367,000) in a top Italian auction on Sunday.
The buyer from Hong Kong placed their winning bid via satellite at the World Alba White Truffles Auction at the Grinzane Cavour castle in Piedmont, northwestern Italy.
Isabelle Gianicolo of the National Truffle Study Centre noted that the auction price was “symbolic” and did not necessarily reflect the true market price, since the proceeds were donated to charitable causes. Nevertheless, dry conditions this year had
6,000 sent the market price soaring to
3,000 (RM30,000) per kilogramme from to 4,000 (RM15,000-20,000) last year, she told AFP.
A recent drought influenced the quantity, “but not the quality of the truffles,” Gianicolo said.
“The situation has recently improved slightly, but it's clear that it's not going to be a great year. There certainly aren't going to be very large truffles up for auction, even if they're still very good truffles,” she said.
Black truffle for Britain
In Britain, a black Perigord truffle has been cultivated for the first time, and the scientists who announced the breakthrough last week said climate change could make it a new British crop.
The 16g specimen was cultivated in Wales in the roots of a Mediterranean oak tree that had been treated with truffle spores.
Scientists from Cambridge University and Mycorrhizal Systems Ltd (MSL) said they also added lime minerals in the surrounding soil to make it less acidic.
A Perigord truffle can be worth as much as £1,700 (RM5,400) per kilogramme in Britain.
It is currently found mainly in France, as well as Italy and Spain.
MSL said the truffles’ traditional Mediterranean habitat had been affected by drought due to long-term climate change, and yields are falling.
The British cultivation is “the farthest north that the species has ever been found,” Cambridge University said.
Paul Thomas of MSL said “This cultivation has shown that the climatic tolerance of truffles is much broader than previously thought, but it’s likely that it’s only possible because of climate change.
“Some areas of the UK ... are now suitable for the cultivation of this species,” Thomas said, adding, “The potential for industry is huge.”
The truffle was recovered in March and found by a specially-trained dog called Bella. It will be kept for posterity, but the farmer can sell any future specimens to restaurants. – AFP Relaxnews