Hunting Truffles

Chapter 2 A Precious Gem

Chapter 2

A Precious GemNestled in the hills of the Piedmont, Alba is an ancient city with centuries of tradition. It is not a fortified city, like many of those towns in Tuscany where the Florentines and the Sienese were constantly at war. No, Alba has the charm of a cozy village-city without the international flair of those Renaissance capitals.

The people of Alba know their place, they know that tourists with their millions of dollars wouldn't make a detour to their pleasant little hamlet, but the Albese know something else and take great pride in it.

The greatest and most expensive Italian wines come from the hills that surround Alba. There is Barolo – called the King of Wines, and Barbaresco – the Prince of Wines. But these merely set the standard for the brilliance of Piedmontese viticulture. There are so many red wines made from the same nebbiolo grape, including Gattinara, Spanna, and Sizzano. Add to the list the great white wines of the Piedmont, like Arneis, Cortese, and a scattering of Pinot Grigio, and this tiny village of Alba could easily be crowned the seat of Italian wine royalty.

Of course, fabulous wine is always accompanied by equally fabulous food, and the Albese have also developed their own niche for food. Combining the seafood and olives from Liguria just to the south, the chefs in Piedmont added unique forms of pasta, beef, fresh produce, seafood from neighboring Liguria, and precious herbs to highlight the natural flavors of it all. From elegant restaurant dining rooms to pleasant home kitchens, the food of this region always delivered memorable meals.

And the Albese had one other thing that they were immensely proud of: truffles and the annual Truffle Festival that opened in late-September and carried on through the winter months until the harvest of the famed tuber magnatum had run its course.

Each year, crowds filled the streets of Alba in the days and weeks leading up to the festival. They were mostly European tourists - - for some reason the Americans hadn't truly embraced this culinary treasure yet. With its focus on truffles and the endless dishes that could be improved by including this ingredient, the festival was first and foremost a culinary event. But at the opening ceremonies, the Albese put on a Medieval show with costumed actors performing scenes from the Middle Ages, including grand parades, starving peasants, mock battles, even fake hangings. And there was the Palio degli Asini, or famed donkey race, fought with ferocity but a heavy dose of humor to determine which borgo, or neighborhood would reign for the year as the champions of the Festa del Tartufo. After the race, the Medieval actors and winners of the Palio marched through the city streets like a scene out of the 17th century, singing the praises of their heroic donkey and his intrepid rider.

The Albese knew they occupied a favored seat in Italy's wine, food, and cultural history. And they relished it.