It would be difficult to imagine a more mysterious market place than that of the truffle. At the opening of the mercato all the trifolau stand in their place calmly, without rushing to put on display the fruits of their search, which they instead hidden in the bulky pockets of their fustian jackets.
They talk to each other about the dogs and the weather conditions they encountered during the hunting season, patiently waiting for a buyer to make the first move to inquire how many specimens are up for sale. Then, slowly and with great caution, they begin to bring out small packets of truffles wrapped in checkered handkerchiefs beginning with the smallest, saving their most impressive specimens for the experts, or for those customers looking for a present and willing to pay slightly above the odds. As the smell of the truffle makes the air of the market place become almost intoxicating, each trifolau shrewdly settles his business in his quiet, secluded corner.
The tradition of the truffle fair goes back to 1930, when the city of Alba established a committee, presided by Mr. Gastone Mirafiori, the morganatic cousin of the King, to organize a yearly truffle fair. The committee chose late autumn as the ideal period in which the truffles could be exposed at their best quality, optimal perfume and taste. Thus, they organized special trains rides from Turin, Genoa and Milan to Alba with a special 50% discount to ensure participation. On average the truffles were paid about 60 to 75 liras per pound, but on the occasion they reached the price of 200 liras, which at the time was equivalent to a month salary of a high level teacher!
In comparison, in 1930 the cost of other products were lower: such as the price quote for apples was about 4 to 12 liras per Mg (about 20 pounds), a dozen eggs for about 9 liras and the Nebbiolo wine for a price of 350 liras per hl (about 25 gallons). Thus, the event drew the interest of the international press of the likes of The Observer of London that at the time published a long chronicle on the gastronomy traditions of the city of Alba.
In 1932, the fair was at its best and it was launched by Mr. Arturo Marescalchi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Italy. On November 6th, as a train rode to Alba with a large number of state representatives from Turin, a second train brought in about 600 subscribers of the Gazzetta del Popolo, Italy's most popular newspaper at the time.
Pinot Gallizio, a painter, invented the Palio degli Asini and the press wrote that the exposition showed 300 pounds of truffles. After a few editions the event became well known and in 1933 it was designated the official name of Fiera del Tartufo, when the fair became an exposition not only for truffles but for other regional specialties of Piedmont, such as the local wines of Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti Spumante.
Currently the renowned white truffles of the cities of Alba, Mondovì, Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, have seasonal prices that are usually very high and ranging from approximately 400,000 to 700,000 liras per 100 grams (a little more than 3 ounces), when bought at the source.
Since 1996, the city of Mondovì, in the Monregalese area, has been hosting another very important fair during the month of October, known as the Fiera del Tartufo Bianco di Mondovì, the White Truffle Fair of Mondovì.
