The world’s most expensive white truffles 6d6f27
14 bucks a gram, that’s how much it cost on Billionaires (HBO) to have your chef scrape some white truffles over some pasta in a fancy New York restaurant. That’s where I got the idea for an article about the world’s most expensive white truffles. 2z1w3k
Do you know where truffles grow? At the roots of trees, in a humus-rich, airy environment near riverbeds. These ‘diamonds’ of the forest are hard to find and very rare, with specially trained dogs (and even fine-smelling pigs) used to track them down. It’s amazing how this species of fungus that lives in such a clean environment ends up on the tables of millionaires and billionaires to give a special taste and flavour to their favourite dishes. They say white truffles taste like garlic and parmesan. 1i3j3e
white truffles
Here’s our top:
Sabatino Truffles, $61,250 1h2v6s
Truffle company Sabatino Truffles once discovered the world’s largest block of truffles, weighing nearly 2 kilograms. The company sold the white truffle at a Sotheby’s auction to a Taiwanese food enthusiast in 2014 for $61,250. Proceeds went to the Children’s Glaucoma Foundation and Citymeals-on-Wheels.
Casa Sabatino, has a history closely linked to truffles since 1911 when it opened a shop in Umbria, Italy. It was here that the adventure of Sabatino Balestra and Giuseppina began, and they embarked on this journey of ion for truffles as the lands there revealed hidden treasures beneath the soil.
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Potanin’s Truffle, $95,000 u5o3q
It seems we can’t do a top of expensive things without a rich Russian not making an appearance in it. Vladimir Potanin, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and of course, a multi-billionaire, spent $95,000 in 2013 and bought 4 kilos of white Alba truffles from Nelu Bălan, a Romanian, well-known owner of Nello restaurant in New York. Among the restaurant’s customers were celebrities, rich people and celebrities from all over the world such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyoncé and Jay-Z. White Alba truffles are only available from late September to early October and are known for their great taste.
Gordon Wu’s white Truffle, $160,000 1g391w
Hong Kong real estate tycoon Gordon Wu and his wife reportedly paid $160,406 for a huge 3.3-kg white Italian truffle from the Alba region of Italy at an international auction in Grizane, Italy, in 2006. The truffle was prepared by chef Umberto Bombana in five courses at a banquet Wu hosted for his friends.
Stanley Ho’s truffle, $330,000 4r1q1x
Stanley Ho, the former Macau bos entered the Guinness Book of Records when he bought 2 truffles for a total cost of $330,000 at an auction. The Chinese casino billionaire bought the truffles at an auction in 2010 held at his own hotel, the Grand Lisboa in Macau.
The huge truffles were found in the central region of Tuscany, famous in Italy for its beauty. They weighed about 900 grams – the big one, and a smaller one of about 400 grams. But Ho wasn’t the first such stunt – in 2007 he paid a record $330,000 for a single truffle weighing nearly 1.5 kilograms.
Epilog
White truffles, known for their extravagant price and strong smell or special aroma and growing underground in symbiosis with oak, poplar or lime tree roots and eaten raw or grated into pastas, salads, omelets, pizzas and many other dishes make our senses tingle and our pockets ring hollow, but they are worth every ounce.
Sources: prestigeonline.com, luxuo.com, foxnews.com, the richest.com, digi24.ro, sabatino1911.com
