Motovun, Croatia, has become a major—if unpublicized—source of white truffles.

Follow Your Nose

The hunt for the world’s most expensive ingredient has led to surprising new places—but Big Truffle doesn’t want the word to get out

By Rowan Jacobsen

Truffle season is upon us once again, starting in Northern Italy with the 91st International Alba White Truffle Fair. As the unmistakable garlic-and-gasoline scent of the world’s most expensive ingredient permeates the cobblestone alleys of the old city, tens of thousands of fresh white truffles will disappear in a parade of egg and pasta dishes from Italy’s top chefs. In December, the torch will be passed to France’s black winter truffle, star of dozens of open-air markets and festivals across Périgord and Provence.

But amid the sensory epiphanies, few festival-goers will realize that things are not quite what they seem. Despite the official line, most white truffles no longer come from Northern Italy, and most black truffles don’t come from France. This is scandalous only because the powers that be insist on maintaining the ruse. The truth about truffles is much richer, livelier, and more inspiring, so it’s only a matter of time before it gets out.