The sale of truffles

The sale of truffles remains quite exclusive and secret. Truffle harvesters gather generally each week at truffle markets, which take place in different villages depending upon the day of the week.

The largest market in the Drome is in Richerenche in the Tricastin region and is held on a Saturday; that of Carpentras in the Vaucluse is held on Fridays; and in the southwest Tuesday is when the market in Albencque takes place.

During the market, the buyers or inter-mediaries arrive, open the trunks of their cars, set up their scales and are ready to sell their marvelous wares.

The truffle harvesters, or sellers then walk about with burlap sacks full of truffles, talk among themselves, discuss the weather, the weeks harvest, and hypothetical prices each one of them hoping to obtain the highest price!.

For some of the sellers, the buyer is already chosen, and thus trusts having been established there is no need to bargain with other buyers. However the majority of the sellers propose their goods to numerous buyers, in order to take the pulse of pricing.

Once the sale is made, everyone goes to the corner bistrot for a pastis before lunch.

The atmosphere around the market really must be experienced, but besides the rather mysterious spectacle the air is redolent of the perfume of truffles.

The buyer or agent is the central actor in the sale of truffles; there are very few, perhaps 20, and it is in fact they who fix the prices depending upon demand from negociants and restaurants.

The truffles then leave for their destination, merely sorted and not yet washed.

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