9 Things That Make Truffles So Expensive

by N/A, 11 years ago | 2 min read

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Truffles are a coveted item in the food world and they're also quite pricey. Here's why.

A 4.1 pound truffle, which is said to be the largest ever found, was sold at auction for $61,250 by a phone bidder in China.

Vittorio Giordano, Vice President and Truffle Guru at Urbani Truffles had some insight to share what makes them so expensive.

According to Giordano, truffles, which are mostly found in Italy, are a wild and unpredictable crop.

"It is not something you can cultivate or control."

Black truffles, which are found more commonly are worth about $95 an ounce, while white truffles are priced at about $165 per ounce.

Urbani has a team of 18,000 truffle hunters that search for the elusive delicacy all over the country.

Sometimes dogs and female pigs are used to sniff out truffles.

Once truffles are found, they have to be transported very quickly to their designated location.

This is because, once they're removed from the ground, they lose moisture (and value) very quickly.