IN VARIETY Clockwise from top left: A truffle hunter going into details of his find for the week; Truffles last up to seven days after being unearthed and are best kept covered. IT IS ACTUALLY A TOWN — a recently minted UNESCO Creative City, in fact. But it is with much affection and reminiscence that that the locals refer to Alba as a village because in a space where you can walk leisurely from end to end in about 20 minutes, it has all the cultural and neighborly charm that draws you in — just like home. For a place this small, it sure is prolific. Home to Piazza Duomo — the three-star Michelin restaurant where it takes months to land a reservation and is a year-round main draw for visitors, but Alba is one of the big pillars that makes up the Italian food export industry. Well-known around the world for its glorious white truffles and hazelnuts, it is the epicenter of Ferrero Rocher (producers of the Forrero Rocher chocolates) and an annual Truffle Cup championship that runs concurrently with the International Alba White Truffle Fair in November. An annual pilgrimage destination of sorts for truffle lovers, the market offers quite an experiential journey even for non-truffle fans, especially those who take an interest in small agricultural development and social tourism. A big part of the market is dedicated to stands by individual truffle hunters who have come to peddle off their precious finds for the season. Truffle hunting is regulated in Italy and only these licensed truffle hunters are allowed to set about on their adventures into the forest twith dogs rather than the usual pig hunting companions to seek out the culinary treasures. Pigs tend to cause a lot of damage to the terrain and have been outlawed in Italy as truffle hunting companions, so the true stars of the region are the more gentle dogs with laser-sharp sniffing capabilities. Witnessing the dogs in action is a pleasant and exciting experience and many of the truffle hunters now are open to taking visitors along on their hunts. Wandering into the woods together, visitors are immersed into the hunt — which is a combination of the dog’s sense of smell and the hunter’s experienced sense of intuition in finding the precious truffle. The average price range for the coveted white truffles is somewhere between QR2,400 to QR5,000 a kilogram, while the summer black truffles start about QR240 a kilogram, depending on the size and type. These numbers though, are merely a rough guide, as the ultimate price is set On Heritage A Village of Truffles and Hazelnuts A gastronomical epicenter that is small but packs a punch. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEBRINA ALIYAH 49 Arena Qatar through lively and sometimes heated conversations between the truffle hunters and buyers, based on subjective considerations regarding the shape and smell of these rare fungi. “It’s a song and dance. The truffles have to be in the kitchen as soon as it has been found. The brief bargaining process is more of a time- respected ritual rather than a business affair,” he adds. The non-profit Ente Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba was established some fifteen years ago to bring the fair and the city together in a move to tie the produce to the land. The move has also brought on many initiatives aimed at highlighting Italian excellence — a concept that the creative field is very proud of. Apart from the main fair set in the Museum of Alba, the local farmers and businesses have turned the whole town into one big festival space with produce and goodies from the Langhe region (in which Alba is situated). It is quite a tasty affair for visitors, with its never-ending samples of chocolates, sauces and fruits. And then there are, of course, the hazelnuts. Ferrero’s fame is closely linked to its wildly popular range of chocolate products that feature hazelnuts as its main ingredients. If they aren’t already in the truffle business, the residents of Alba are likely to be employees of Ferrero. On every corner of the city, most sweet artisanal produce feature the nut is some form or other. “It is a way of life here. There is an inside joke among us chefs on who can actually make a dessert without using any hazelnuts,” jests Gigrosi. Finally, ome must not forget the grapes that seal Alba as one of the dominating red wine regions. Home to some of the most prolific reds, including the Dolcetto, Barolo and Nebbiolo, there’s something for everyone as boutique wineries put their own twist onto the classics. The Arneis is the main star for white wines, while bubbly drinkers will be pleasantly surprised with the Contratto — a very old “metodo classico” producer that is hard to find outside of this region. So it is with no surprise that this year’s fair ended on a highnote, with the city being awarded the title of Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO — one of only 19 in the world, in a campaign led by Piazza Duomo’s starred-chef, Enrico Crippa. “It is so much more than just the glamorous setting, but we want to improve initiatives with other territories with similar cultural identities, and of course, we are very satisfied to be recognized in world gastronomy,” says Alba’s Mayor Maurizio Marello. The fair runs annually until the end of November with the magnus white truffle as the season's star, but Alba is a good drop-in all year long for different types of truffles and its many highly rated restaurants and wine bars. CITY OF TRUFFLES Clockwise from top left: At the outdoor market, produce from local farmers take centerstage; For aficionados, the quality of the wooden board for shaving truffles is the equally important matter; and the city is home to highly-rated restaurants that specialize in truffles and hazelnuts. On Heritage 50 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine