The Italian city of San Miniato is often called « The city of white truffles ». Every year in November, a traditional holiday dedicated to these wonderful mushrooms, – White Truffle Festival, takes place here. It takes place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout November, starting on the second Saturday of the month, attracting gourmets from around the world.
But in 2021, in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, festival events can be canceled.
White truffle – pride of Italy, and white truffles from this area are called « King of Food » ( Tuber Magnatum Pico ), they are considered the most valuable mushrooms. It was here that the world's largest white truffle was found, the weight of which was 2.5 kg.
Local mushrooms are famous not only for their size, but also for their quality. White truffles from San Miniato are served in the best restaurants in the world. They are much less common and have a much deeper smell than black truffles from France, and are considered tastier than French, and their price sometimes exceeds two thousand euros per kilogram. Brillat Savarin wrote: « Truffles make women more tender and men more loving ».
[ Image-1 ] The season for collecting these mushrooms in Italy falls on November. The white truffle is short-lived, it grows on the roots of trees and begins to fade as soon as it is taken out of the ground. Even in the most ideal conditions, he can maintain his tasteful qualities for only 10 days. Therefore, true gourmets gather for the festival and look forward to the appearance of fresh mushrooms in local restaurants. Moreover, it is during this period that you can purchase or try them at reduced prices. By the way, white truffles are often eaten raw, pre-cliced with thin slices. But there are many dishes from these wonderful mushrooms.
In San Miniato, the annual festival is being prepared with particular care: they organize numerous tastings and master classes that explain how to choose and prepare truffles, as well as organize a truffle auction, on which anyone can become the owner of a favorite mushroom, giving a substantial amount. Or maybe « to hunt » for truffles under the guidance of an experienced « trifalau » ( truffle hunter ).
White truffle – is not only a unique taste, but also one of the main elements of local business and culture. The festival of white truffles turns the city into a huge open-air fair for almost a month, where you can not only buy your favorite treat, but also taste local dishes using these famous mushrooms – risotto, pasta, sauces, butter, creams, fondutum…
As part of the holiday, you can try and purchase not only truffles, but also the best Italian wines, snails, cheeses and olive oil. Also during the festival, various theatrical performances, costume performances and music shows are held on the streets of the city.