Uncover the mystery of the black truffle

What is black truffle?

The truffle is a black mushroom that needs very particular conditions to be born and develop naturally: a tree, preferably an oak for a perfect symbiosis, a sufficiently calcareous soil and finally a climate more Mediterranean type.

With nearly 60% of the national production, the Tricastin, including the Enclave des Papes, constitutes by far the first truffle region of France. The truffle is harvested from November to March . It is said that the most fragrant are in January when they are ripe.

There are two kinds of truffles: the Tuber brumale and the Tuber melanosporum. The second, the most fragrant, is the most sought-after by truffle growers and gourmets for its high culinary value. The brumale is slightly lighter with wider white “veins” on the inside. Another index: its price, significantly lower than melanosporum.

Where to find and buy truffles?

You can buy them on specialized markets: there are two of them !

The truffle market of Richerenches : Every Saturday, during the truffle season, the most important wholesale truffle market in France is held , in fact, nearly 700 kg of truffles which pass through here every week! The small medieval village then becomes all winter long the essential meeting place for producers with restaurateurs, traders, brokers… a unique show of its kind!

The truffle market of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (labelled Site Remarquable du Goût since 2013): is held every Sunday from December to March, it is intended for the general public. Its particularity, a commission controls each truffle before the sale. As you will see, all truffles are pocketed. You can buy truffles with confidence. La place de l’Esplan becomes the essential Sunday morning meeting for locals and people passing through: truffle growers, truffle oak stands, and other items promoting truffles… Not to mention the success of the truffle hut, where it will be necessary to play elbows to access the truffle ravioli sold with their glass of wine…

How to taste the black truffle?

Many trufflesgrowers propose, during days of truffle discovery, a privileged encounter with the mysterious black diamond. A day where you are taken caver (harvesting truffles) and prepared, a snack snack such as a lunch composed of truffled dishes : it’s time to taste it! So you can approach with our passionate truffle makers tips to cook truffles and know all their secrets: choose them well, quelle quantity per person (in fact you need very little ;-)), clean them, cook them without making mistakes !! And if you don’t have the soul of a cook, the truffle can also be enjoyed dans many restaurants de la Drôme Provençale.

Caver with the dog: an unmissable experience for truffle growers.

You are in the heart of the truffle field and discover all the complicity of the truffle grower with his dog to detect the famous underground mushroom. It is a unique and playful experience: what a pleasure when the dog starts digging… You will be able to smell the freshly grounded truffle and you will smell this fragrance so powerful and so particular.

Picturesque !

The most picturesque of the celebrations of the of the Black Diamond takes place on the 3rd Sunday of january, at 10h30, at Richerenches : it is the messe de la truffe. The particularity of this mass in Provençal is the moment of the quest: those who can give a truffle instead of the traditional coin! Place de l’hôtel de ville is then held the auction of truffles collected by the priest.

And if you want to explore the subject further, we recommend two visits:

The Maison de la Truffe et du Tricastin in which you will find a whole playful and olfactory journey on the truffle (it also organizes every year in February the truffle festival in Tricastin where you can taste among other things, the famous truffle omelette.)

the Nose and Wine Museum in Richerenches in the former Templar commandery.

For more information on the different events related to truffles, click here !