How Incredibly Rare And Expensive White Truffles Go From Italy's Forests To Fine Restaurants Everywhere [PHOTOS]
Here's an up-close shot of a slice of white truffle. Typically chefs and truffle hunters are on the lookout for something much bigger.
![How Incredibly Rare And Expensive White Truffles Go From Italy's Forests To Fine Restaurants Everywhere [PHOTOS]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-28299523%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-160502%2Fheres-an-up-close-shot-of-a-slice-of-white-truffle-typically-chefs-and-truffle-hunters-are-on-the-lookout-for-something-much-bigger-.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The sun sets over the hills of Serralunga d'Alba, a town in the region of Italy known as the capital of white truffles.
Ezio Costa, 66, searches for truffles in the woods in Monchiero, near Alba. Costa's family have searched for truffles for four generations.
Costa's dog Jolly helps with the hunt. Dogs are trained from birth to detect the smell of the truffles, which give off a distinctive smell for a limited amount of time.
The fungi are usually found between two and eight inches below the ground, near roots of trees.
Costa carefully extracts a truffle that Jolly has found.
The pair inspect their findings.
Costa sits outside his restaurant in Monchiero and smells a truffle, typically about the size of a man's fist. Truffles are famous for their unique, strong smell.
For a few days each November, truffle connoisseurs travel to Alba to participate in the World White Truffle Auction. Here, a seller shows his wares to potential customers.
At the 2013 edition of the auction, two truffles weighing 2.09 pounds sold for about $120,000 to a buyer from Hong Kong. The two truffles caused a frenzy with photographers.
Truffles are used on a variety of dishes, from risotto and mashed potatoes to buttery pasta. Pictured here is a dish of cardoon with white truffle and pear, served at Guido Ristorante in Serralunga d'Alba.
After the auction, Alessandro Boglione cooks pasta at the Ristorante al Castello, a Michelin-starred restaurant set in a castle in Grinzane Cavour.
Now see some other foods that are worth a long trip.
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