White truffles, often referred to as the diamonds of the earth, are once again making headlines after a recent auction saw one fetch an eye-popping price of $154,000.
On Monday, The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that during the 25th annual Alba White Truffle Charity Gala Dinner in Hong Kong on Sunday, a 908-gram Alba white truffle from Piedmont, Italy, was sold for a staggering $154,000. The event attracted bidders from around the world, including locations such as Singapore, Vienna, Frankfurt, Bangkok, and Seoul. The auction raised a total of 30 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $ 3.85million), with all proceeds going to Mother’s Choice, a Hong Kong-based charity that supports vulnerable children and pregnant teenagers.
This is not the first time a white truffle has sold for a high price. In 2005, a 1.2 kg white truffle was auctioned to an anonymous bidder in Hong Kong for 863,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately $111,000). The following year, a white truffle weighing between 1.5 and 1.59 kg was sold to a Hong Kong businessman for 1.25 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $160,000).
Truffles, alongside foie gras (goose liver) and caviar (sturgeon eggs), are considered some of the world’s most luxurious and sought-after delicacies, celebrated for their distinct aroma and rich flavor. White truffles, in particular, are prized for being wild-harvested, as they cannot be cultivated like black truffles. These rare treasures are found only beneath the soil, typically 2 to 8 inches below the surface, near tree roots, which is why they have earned the nickname diamonds of the earth.
The scarcity of white truffles, combined with their short shelf life after harvest, makes them an exclusive ingredient. They are known for their pungent aroma, often described as earthy with a sharp, biting scent. Dishes featuring white truffles are often priced more than twice as much as those with black truffles in high-end restaurants.