rejoice in the fact that ... it's white-truffle season. They may essentially be a fungus, but white truffles are an increasingly rare and coveted treat. They are only available for two or three months of the year and are found in specific parts of Italy, most famously in the northern town of Alba. They cannot yet be cultivated, so are one of the last remaining edibles for which we remain dependent on the whims of Mother Nature. They grow symbiotically with trees such as the oak, hazel, poplar and beech, but ambient temperatures need to be just right – not too cold and not too warm. Truffles are usually served in their raw state, and most commonly shaved over pastas and risottos.
Did you know ... that white truffles were dubbed "diamonds of the kitchen" by the 18th-century chef Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin? And that they can cost up to three times as much as their black counterparts? Last December, a record-setting 1.89-kilomgam white truffle was auctioned off by Sotheby's for US$61,250 (Dh225,000). It is worth noting that Sabatino Truffles, which found the specimen in Umbria, Italy, donated the proceeds to charity, but this was by far the largest white truffle ever found, nearly twice the size of the previous record holder, which was sold for $417,200 (Dh1.5 million) in 2010.
Indulge ... your love of white truffles across the UAE this month. Cipriani Yas Island has launched a dedicated Truffle Season menu, which includes uovo in raviolo – filled with ricotta, Parmesan, spinach and fresh white truffles from Alba, with a sprinkling of white truffle on the top. There's also the lamb chop "alla Norcina" with fresh white truffle, and Wagyu rib-eye steak, veal piccatine and other tasty dishes featuring the delicacy. Meanwhile, Emirates Palace is serving up a white Alba truffle risotto, as well as pastas and salads topped with truffles, at Mezzaluna throughout the month of November, and Armani Hotel Dubai is offering a seven-course truffle degustation menu featuring both black and white varieties. The menu includes such delights as a Parmesan and truffle crème brûlée paired with a sweet garlic cappuccino. You can also learn to cook with truffles during a masterclass with chef Alessandro Salvatico in the Armani/Ristorante kitchen. You'll get four hours of tuition and the chance to sample your efforts, which will include Angus beef carne cruda with shaved black truffle and risotto with white truffle.
Don't bother if ... you like your food on the bland side. White truffles have a strong, complex and pungent taste that cannot be masked.
Read this and other fashion-, jewellery- and lifestyle-related stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, November 5.
sdenman@thenational.ae
