Please mention The Gers Local when responding to adverts Prices and buying black truffles
The amount you can expect to pay for black truffles varies considerably with the size of the crop for the year. £300 - £600+ per kilogramme in the local French truffle markets, £800+ in the shops of Paris, and £1200+ in the shops of New York is a very broad guideline.
The truffle you buy should be in good condition - inspect carefully for rotten parts. A small scrape will sometimes be made on the surface so that the interior can be seen - ideally it will be dark with clearly visible white veins. Final check - smell the truffle.
Truffle markets in France
There are several important truffle mar- kets held during the winter months in the south of France - some are for profession- als only, but many provide an opportunity to buy freshest produce first hand. Note that truffle sellers will sometimes first sell their finest produce 'behind closed doors' to professional purchasers, so what you see in the public markets might not in- clude the very finest specimens.
Eating truffles
Truffles should be eaten with minimal cooking. A simple way is to finely chop the truffle and mix it with slices of soft- ened butter to make a paste, place in a sealed container in the fridge for 24-48 hours then spread on bread with a few grains of sea salt. Another popular option is scrambled eggs with grated truffle, which should be cooked very gently. Truffles can also be added to vegetable dishes, stuffing’s placed inside poultry meat or fish. 10 gramme per person is enough to use when cooking.
Love truffles and want to find out more? Then the weekend of the 14th and 15th January 2012 is the la Fête de la Truffe weekend in Sarlat.
The festival brings together many different people involved with the truffles including chefs, producers, scientists and writers, but also many other connoisseurs of the nose!
There is a truffle market in the rue Fénelon, with truffles and other related products, a photo exhibition, truffle tours, workshops to help people get to understand more about the ‘black gold’. You can also find demonstrations and cooking classes and wine tasting.
Sarlat is a great destination for a weekend away without travelling too far but it can get very busy this weekend and so if you are thinking of a weekend away - it is worth making your plans as soon as possible.
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Starting on the first Tuesday of December and on every Tuesday
until mid-March the truffle market of Lalbenque takes place in the main street, called “la rue du Marché aux Truffes”.
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