Truffles, on Garda it’s the time for the “Nero Pregiato”

The truffles 2016 campaign on Garda has entered its final phase with the Nero Pregiato (also said Tuber melanosporum also said), which according to tradition has started to be collected around December 13, the day of Saint Lucia. The prospects are very interesting, with demand soaring due to poor availability in strong producer countries such as France, and prices between 600 and 800 euros that could even get to 1000 euros per kilogram.

“The natural harvest is almost zero, whereas in the cultivated areas there’s a product of excellent quality – says Virgilio Vezzola, president of Tartufai Bresciani Association, engaged for years in the promotion of truffle cultivation to meet the now overt decline of natural production -. Benaco on this species has as reference areas the Alto Garda from Salò to Riva, passing through Tremosine, the Valtènesi, but also the Moraine Hills with extension in Mantova: and it is no accident that at the end of January we will organize a demonstration in Volta Mantovana dedicated exclusively to this highly sought after variety”.

The Garda is historically an area suitable for the production of truffles, where you can collect all the most important species: from thenAestivum, which has its preferred areal in Muscoline, Valtènesi and Valle Sabbia, to the the Tuber Magnum, the legendary White truffle that this year because of the scarce availability has reached prices between 2000 and 4000 euro per kilo. The campaign in 2016 started auspiciously in June with the “Estivo”, then downsize later with the collection declines both of the aforementioned Magnatum and the Macrosporum (or Black Smooth) and Uncinatum. Now, with Black Truffle (which you can collect up to March) there are spaces to end the year with a positive sign. In the meantime also Bianchetto, or Tuber Borchii, spring truffle which mature between February and April, has started to be looked after.

“This species has always been slightly request and therefore little collection, although it is a type absolutely valid especially for the preparation of carpaccio – explains Vezzola -. This year we have witnessed a kind of rediscovery by the restaurants: a few searchers have popped prices up to 400 euro per kilo. And since next spring a new increase of request could start”.