The white truffle of Alba (Tartufo Bianco d'Alba) sold for €2,000-5,000 per kilogram in 2025. At those prices, 10 grams shaved over your tagliolini (the standard restaurant portion) costs the restaurant €20-50 — and you pay €35-80 for the plate. This is not a scam. It's a fungus that grows underground, can't be cultivated, must be found by trained dogs in specific forests at specific times, and has a perfume so intense it changes the molecular composition of whatever it touches. Italy has 9 truffle regions, 3 major seasons, and 200+ festivals dedicated to this one ingredient. This guide tells you when, where, and how to experience it without a second mortgage. October guide →
Plan my truffle trip →White truffle (Tuber magnatum): October-December. Alba (Piedmont) = the capital. Also: Acqualagna (Marche), San Miniato (Tuscany). €2,000-5,000/kg. The most prized truffle in the world — intense, garlicky, earthy perfume. Shaved raw over eggs, pasta, risotto. Never cooked (heat destroys the aroma).
Black winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum): January-March. Umbria (Norcia, Spoleto) = the capital. Also: Abruzzo, Molise. €400-1,000/kg. More versatile — can be cooked into sauces, baked into bread, infused into butter. The truffle most restaurants use.
Black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum): June-August. Across central Italy. €80-200/kg. Milder, less perfumed. Good introduction to truffles. The one you'll find in affordable restaurant dishes and truffle products.
Alba Truffle Fair (Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba). Every Saturday-Sunday, October-November. The world's most important truffle market — hunters bring their finds, judges grade them, chefs cook with them, and you can buy directly (€5-50 for a small truffle, €200+ for a large one). The truffle-buying tip: smell before buying. The aroma should hit you from 30cm. If you need to press your nose to the truffle: it's not fresh.
Truffle hunting experience. Go into the forest with a hunter and their trained dog (Lagotto Romagnolo breed — bred for truffle hunting for 500 years). Watch the dog work. Find truffles. Cook and eat them. €80-150/person, 3-4 hours. Available through GetYourGuide and Viator in Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria. One of the most unique food experiences in Italy.
Restaurant truffle menus. During white truffle season (Oct-Dec), restaurants across Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria offer menu al tartufo — typically 4 courses with truffle: egg with truffle shavings, tagliolini al tartufo, risotto al tartufo, cheese with truffle honey. €50-120/person including wine. The best value way to experience white truffle without buying a whole one.
"Truffle" in a Roman tourist restaurant: probably truffle oil (synthetic aroma, zero real truffle). Check: does it say tartufo fresco (fresh truffle) or just al tartufo? Fresh = real. Oil = fake. "Supplemento tartufo +€15-25": a few grams of real truffle shaved tableside over your pasta. This is legitimate and how most restaurants serve it. A full truffle dish (€35-80): generous shaving of fresh truffle. Justified if you're in a truffle region during season. Truffle products (oils, creams, butters): 90% are synthetic. Buy only from trusted producers or at the Alba Fair. Real truffle oil costs €20-40 for a small bottle. If it costs €5: it's synthetic.