Montaione's White Truffle

Montaione is located in one of the most renomated and rich Truffle area of Tuscany and Italy, and for that reason is part of the Association "Città del Tartufo", which is committed to safeguard and develop Italian Truffles.

Montaione has an ancient tradition in Truffle-harvesting dated back at the first year of XX century. The ancient origin of Truffle are remembered since the Romans and the Egyptian when they used as food.

Today is possible to find many kind of Truffles: the White Truffle or "Tuber magnatum Pico", the Black Truffle or "Tuber melanosporum", Muscat Truffle or "Tuber Brumale" and many others distinguishable by their organoleptic difference, the shape and color to the number of spores that change depending on the type.
The most important tipology of the Truffles is divided in White and Black. White Truffle is the one we usually find in Piedmont (near Alba) and in Tuscany between San Miniato and Montaione, it is more precious than the Black one because is rare and it keeps the flavour for a long time, so this is the reason is the most valuable by Italians Chefs. White Truffle present an oval shape like a potato with a color from a soft yellow to grey.

Another quality that grows in Tuscany near Montaione is "Bianchetto" or "Marzuolo" (Tuber Borchii) with a rounded shape, a size like an egg and a whitish colour but with less flavour.

The value of a Truffle is given by the weight, it is possible to find ones from some grams to more than a Kilo. It depends also by maturation that influence the flavour.

Usually the picking for the White Truffle is between October and January while for the black one is from November to March/April even if it depends by the climate, because in case of rainy climate, maturation can be delaied for a month.

When the harvest began, at the end of October, Montaione celebrate the Truffle with one of the most traditional festival in Tuscany together with other typical product. The festival attract lots of visitors from Italy and all over the world that taking advantage of an holiday in Tuscany taste our typical products with the Tuscan and Montaione's cooking.