TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The world’s largest white truffles were found in a garden belongs to Balestra family’s mushroom company Sabatina in Umbria, Italy, five weeks ago. The 2.2-kilogram truffle are tagged US$1 million or around Rp12.3 billion each. The weight doubles that of the last year record holder.
“Buyers from Macau, China have already offered US$1 million for the massive fungi. But the company will auction off the truffle in New York City this week, in order to get the highest bid so that they can donate all proceeds to charity,” Jane Walsh of Sabatino Truffles told Business Insider.
White truffles are the most-sought foods in the world for its rarity and difficulty to harvest. In a year, white truffles only appeared in one month and not much in number. Therefore, it is one of the world’s rarest and most expensive food.
The price is usually three-time higher than its sibling black truffle. White truffles are hunted using help of trained hunting dogs. This method is called the Truffle-sniffing. Sometimes, farmers also search it with pigs. The white truffle-hunting season is between October to December each year.
US$1 million may seems to be unreasonable but such price is common in white truffle trades. Back in November, white truffle found in Alba, Italy, was sold for US$125,000 or Rp1.5 billion and Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin spent US$95,000 for four pounds of white truffle in October.
BUSINESS INSIDER | CHETA NILAWATY
