Kiki Bruni, the owner of white truffle supplier Bianca Bruni Tartufo tells all about this hyper-seasonal treasure also known as “white gold”
We are knee-deep into white truffle season right now, and if you haven’t been flocking to your favourite restaurants to sample it, you might not have much time left. Though they may be found in France and Croatia, white truffles are mainly grown in Alba, a township in Piedmont, Italy, with the season running from late September to December. This leaves a very short opportunity to unearth these bulbs of fungi and savour this precious delicacy, freshly shaved over simple dishes. They are so precious, in fact, that the largest and freshest bulbs regularly fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars in auctions. While it’s clear that white truffle adds an intensely savoury aroma to our food, what’s less evident is why it’s so prized.
Enter Kiki Bruni, the owner of Bianca Bruni Tartufo, a white truffle supplier right here in Singapore. She used to go to Piedmont every year with her husband, whose family is from the region, but the pandemic changed all of that. Suddenly with little access to white truffle, the idea to set up her own white truffle business bloomed. Now, Bianca Bruni Tartufo supplies only the best white truffle from Alba to top restaurants and clients. We spoke to Bruni to find out more about this prized delicacy.
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What is the difference between white and black truffle?
The main difference between white and black truffle is that white truffle cannot be cultivated. White truffles are grown in damp and shady soil near the roots of trees like oak, hazelnut and poplar, of which they enjoy a symbiotic relationship. This unique method of growing makes cultivation impossible.
Black truffle, on the other hand, usually grow in sunny, hilly areas and grow on the base of trees. Black truffles can be farmed by inoculating tree saplings with truffle spores, and can last for weeks, or even months. White truffles are more perishable and need to be consumed within 10 days of harvesting.
What is so special about the Alba region that allows it to grow white truffle?
White truffles grow abundantly in Alba, where the soil is damp and shady with nutrients like calcium and phosphorus. While the soil needs to be damp and shady, it is also mostly clay and limestone, which prevents water-logging and encourages a neutral to alkaline pH ideal for growing white truffle.
The high altitude of Alba—about 700m—means that the temperature is cooler, which is ideal in the autumn, as white truffles thrive at a temperature between 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. The limited season and the difficulty of growing white truffles makes it incredibly rare and thus very expensive.
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