White truffle season, and where to go instead of Alba

The white truffle of Alba, tuber magnatum pico, is found from roughly the end of September to the end of January, with the heart of the season in October and November. Alba's Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco runs across those weekends and is the reason hotel rooms within an hour of the town are booked months ahead.

What the Alba fair is. A large covered market of truffle sellers, plus a wine hall, cookery demonstrations, tastings and a programme of events across the town. Entry to the market hall is ticketed. It is excellent, and it is extremely busy: on a Saturday in late October the queue for the market and the traffic into town are both substantial. Go on a Sunday morning early, or on a weekday, and book your parking or arrive by train from Asti or Bra.

The alternatives. Several other towns run their own truffle markets on their own weekends, with a fraction of the crowd and prices that reflect that. Moncalvo, in the Asti hills, holds one of the oldest. Murisengo, Montechiaro d'Asti and Montiglio Monferrato each run theirs in the autumn, as does Asti itself. San Sebastiano Curone, over towards Alessandria, and Canelli in the Belbo valley also have markets. These are village affairs: a hall, a dozen trifolau with their baskets, a brass band outside and a kitchen serving tajarin. Check the current dates on our calendar, because the weekends shift from year to year.

Buying. Truffles are sold by weight and priced per hundred grams, and the price moves week by week with the weather. A dry autumn means fewer truffles and higher prices. A single truffle for two people at home does not need to be large: twenty to thirty grams is a generous portion over eggs or tajarin. Smell it before you buy. It should be strong, earthy and slightly garlicky, not ammoniac. Ask where it was found. A seller who will not tell you is telling you something.

Eating it instead. Cheaper, and better value: order tajarin al tartufo or a fried egg with truffle in a restaurant during the season and pay for the shaving you actually eat. Most restaurants in the Langhe and Monferrato put the price per gram on the menu and shave at the table.

The black truffle. Piedmont also has black truffles, in summer and autumn, at a fraction of the price. They are a different ingredient rather than a lesser one: the summer black is mild and wants to be cooked, where the white is only ever shaved raw over something hot.