Michelin-starred chef Umberto Bombana spent six figures for a member of the mushroom family that is basically used as a seasoning.
Would you spend $117,260.25 or 103K Euro on a mushroom? That’s how much the winner of an Italian auction paid for a 1.8-pound white truffle.
Michelin-starred chef Umberto Bombana purchased the over-the-top ingredient at the annual Alba White Truffle Fair.
Six figures for a member of the mushroom family that is basically used as a seasoning. Truffles’ unique flavor is often added to pasta, pizza, or egg dishes.
So why do white truffles cost so much? It comes down to scarcity.
Though still expensive, black truffles can be cultivated and farmed. White truffles are extremely difficult to cultivate and, at the moment, are only found by trained hunters, dogs, or pigs.
They are typically located a few inches below the ground, near the roots of hardwood trees.
In addition, white truffles have a minimal harvesting season from October through December.
