Rare white truffle fetches record price at auction

A Hong Kong property tycoon and his wife have reportedly paid around €131,200 for a huge Italian white truffle, which may be the most expensive purchased.

Gordon Wu and his wife outbid connoisseurs from France and Italy to win the 3.3lb Alba white truffle from an international auction, a spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which hosted the Hong Kong part of the auction, said.

“They’re very unique. They’re found all together and they’ve got a beautiful shape,” said hotel cook Umberto Bombana of this year’s prize truffle, made up of three palm-sized portions.

Bombana will prepare the giant truffle for a five-course banquet hosted by Wu tomorrow.

It was the second time Hong Kong bidders won a pricey fungus at the annual auction, held in Grizane, Italy, and satellite-linked with Paris and Hong Kong.

Last year, a group of bidders in Hong Kong paid €98,800 for a 2.7lb truffle, a purchase later named by Guinness World Records as the most valuable truffle bought at an auction, said Ritz-Carlton spokeswoman Claudia Hardt.

Guinness World Records officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the claim.

White truffles, known for their extravagant price tags and strong, garlic-like scent, grow underground with tree roots. They are eaten uncooked or shaved into pasta, salad, omelettes and other dishes.

Proceeds from the auction, which also featured five smaller truffles weighting 7.7oz to 18.2oz sold to other Hong Kong bidders, will go to Mother’s Choice, a Hong Kong charity that cares for pregnant girls and organises adoptions.