The Alba Truffle Fair in 2023
She is more than 90 years old! But she still looks like a little girl.
The story
The Truffle Fair in Alba began in 1928 and was called Vendemmia or Vendemmiale Fair. It originated from the displacement of the Mussotto Fair that was held in the first week of September and lasted only one day. By decree of the Podesta, Lawyer Giulio Cesare Moreno, it was decided to establish a Fair or Festival that would last 15 days.
The 1928 Vendemmial Fair saw the light of day in Alba and was well attended. The municipalities of the Langhe created floats for the occasion, of which the most admired was that of Barbaresco. During the 1928 Fair, Truffles were presented for the first time. Giacomo Morra made the presentation. An attempt was made to emphasize a well-known product that was donated by farmers to the various “authorities” in the villages. Who liked them very much!
In 1929 it was decided that the truffle exhibition should be given more space and that truffle growers could improve their visibility by displaying their prized products. The time for the Truffle exhibition was to follow the best season for the tuber, and thus it would be held in late autumn. Already a very forward-looking form of marketing for the time!
From there, talking about the Truffle Fair instead of the Harvest Fair was a snap.
The floats, the village band, and parades from neighboring towns gave luster to the precious White Truffle of Alba.
The price of truffles, as did the quantities sold, grew during the Fair.
In 1930 it was still called the Festa Vendemmiale, but it was also named the Second Alba Truffle Fair. Other European countries began to take an interest in this “fragrant exhibition,” raising interest in Alba and the area in general.
In 1931, two events, The National Grape Festival and then the Third Alba Truffle Fair.
Even in 1932, there were still two more Fairs. It was precisely in 1932 that Alba began to taste popularity, with many tourists attracted by the increasingly famous Alba White Truffles.
Pinot Gallizio invented the Palio degli Asini, the first race intended to mock the emblazoned Palio of Asti.
But by this time, the Fairs could be merged into one great Festival or Fair, and by rights, precisely because of its success, it would be called the Alba Truffle Fair.
What the Truffle Fair represents for the Langhe and the city of Alba.
The heart of the Fair is the Market because you can see, smell and observe the differences between the various truffles.
The National Truffle Study Center guarantees the quality of the products at the Fair. Each truffle is evaluated and marked so that the seller can be traced. At the Market, you will be accompanied by experts enabling you to appreciate and evaluate the nuances of the different products.
Many cooking, tasting, and information events related to the world of the White Truffle of Alba revolve around the food and wine products each year.
You can find the calendar of events on the official website of the Alba Truffle Fair (link here)
The Truffle Fair involves, first of all, Alba, which becomes the nerve center of many events. But the towns of the Langhe also dress up and prepare to welcome visitors from around the world. Restaurateurs compete to grab the best pieces, and tourists wander around intoxicated by the scents and flavors.
The Search for the White Truffle of Alba
The protagonist is the Truffle, a fragrant mushroom that lies quiet and hidden in the earth. Here, we can say that the Truffle is the protagonist, but without the Trifolao and his faithful dog, this whole kermis would be impossible!
We must therefore bow to the skill of the men of the Langhe who have been able to hand down the secret places and their ability to train the dogs that accompany them in this fruitful search.
How to Taste the White Truffle of Alba
Restaurants, trattorias, wineries, and all players in the restaurant industry make sure to present dishes featuring white truffles in Alba and the surrounding area during the Fair. There are also cooking classes, or open cooking schools, where chefs perform in enhancing the particular merits of Tuber Magnatum and where you can taste the dishes prepared. There is also a fantastic option, the purchase of truffles at the Truffle Fair Market and the preparation in your home of two buttered eggs with a succulent and fragrant truffle grating. All accompanied by a glass of excellent wine, Barolo, Barbaresco, or my beloved Dolcetto.
The recommended portion size on a plate hovers around 7 grams per plate and person, and prices are highly variable because they depend on the abandonment of the harvest and certainly on demand.
Restaurants worldwide know and compete for this precious and fragrant “mushroom that looks like a potato.“
The Alba Truffle Fair of 2023
The Organization of the Fair is delegated to a non-profit Association created in 2003.
If you would like to organize your tour and your vision of the Alba Truffle Fair, I will be happy to prepare a proposal that includes a Truffle Search with tasting afterward, a cooking class just for you and those traveling with you to teach you how to make tajarin, another dish that marries beautifully with truffles!
But you can also escape the crazy crowds of Alba with a pleasant trek through the hills amidst the red, yellow, and orange vineyards or even travel by e-bike from village to village!
Events scheduled to take place in 2023:
Saturday, Sept. 23: We begin with the Investiture of the Podesta, as almost always, in Risorgimento Square.
The ceremony represents an invitation to the Palio degli Asini and the Medieval Parade. As in 1275, all the figures bring to life an episode in which the Captain of the People confers on a Knight the office of Podestà of the City of Alba. The purpose is to defend the free city of Alba from the mercenary enemy of Asti.
The Podestà, during the evening, takes the oath of office. He receives the symbols of power, including the essential keys to the city. After paying homage to the Podestà, the Borghi ask to be allowed to hold the Palio degli Asini. As every year, the Podesta authorizes and begins the festivities. This particular event has grown in interest over the years, including from foreign tourists. It has also become a popular evening for the citizens of Alba, who consistently participate in large numbers in the festivities in the streets of the city center.
Saturday, September 30: Historical reenactment anticipates the Palio
Each Borgo, in great flamboyance, with costumes evoking the Middle Ages, presents itself to the city and the authorities and challenges the other boroughs in the historical reenactment.
This year, the Costumed Historical Reenactment will take place in the Palio Arena in Risorgimento Square for several years. If you attend, you will be treated to a spectacle with more than 400 reenactment figures. In various groups with the colors of the Borghi, they will reenact the episodes that marked the history of Alba in the medieval period.
After evaluating the clothing, correct representation, and innovation of the situation, a jury of experts will decide the winner.
Sunday, October 1: The Donkey Palio
In Piazza Risorgimento, as usual on the first Sunday of October, the Palio degli Asini is run, the irreverent race in which the city’s nine boroughs compete for the banner and which mocks the serious and official Palio of Asti.
Donkeys are assigned in the morning by lottery. This fun lottery to give the donkeys is an excellent start to understanding the atmosphere and challenges seen during the Palio.
And then, in the early afternoon, Alba is traversed from every corner by the borghigiani, who parade and take to the square for the Palio.
The parade passes through Michele Ferrero Square, Corso Fratelli Bandiera, and Corso Matteotti.
The goliardic challenge, which holds high regard for animal respect, will amaze and entertain you.
Sunday, Oct. 8: Alba will be invaded by aromas
Albaromatica: An event that brings to St. Paul’s Square (changing venue this year), aromatic outlets: medicinal hermes, herbs. Fragrances, essential oils, herbal teas, risottos and ready-made soups. A great way to shop for the coming winter.
Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15: The Bacchanal of the Villages
For me it is the most sympathetic and participatory festival. Alba becomes a medieval salon/kitchen. Jugglers, figures, cooks, costumes, perfumes, good food and lots of music. I really consider it a village festival, synonymous with cheerfulness and hospitality.
Don’t dine and dine! You will have a thousand ways to sample and taste delicacies
Michelin-starred dinners and show cooking
During the Fair you will also have the opportunity to see at work and taste the dishes of starred chefs who in the most scenic locations (the theater, the library) will be cooking and allowing you to taste
This year, virtually every week, you will have two chefs who will amaze you with their skills
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