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Vaucluse: Cradle of the Black Diamond...

Truffles arrive in the markets of Vaucluse at the end of November. They grace all types of dinner tables, from refined dishes concocted by great chefs to simple scrambled eggs offered in country bistros and family kitchens! Is it possible to make an entire meal with only one single truffle? Of course! Here’s the secret of a Provençal local: after having bought your truffle at the market, brush it clean and place it in a airtight container full of whole eggs for several days. The scent of the mushroom is so potent that it will even pass through the shell! With

Whenever the subject of truffles is raised, we naturally think of the Périgord… and yet, it’s the Vaucluse region that’s the number one producer in France…

By Claire Vincent - Photos José Nicolas - December 27, 2011

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this trick, you can make a succulent, perfumed omelet and use the truffle to embellish the stuffing for a roasted poultry dish. Another delicacy for the festive season is truffled brie: all you have to do is cut open the brie across its middle, lay fine slivers of truffle inside it, and close it up again… this is best enjoyed with a green salad, lightly dressed with truffle-scented olive oil! The “black diamond” is a rare mushroom whose price fluctuates, according to the year and the season, between 400 and over 1000 euros a kilo… Sales at the “professional”

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truffle markets of Apt or Carpentras happen very discretely and quickly, as the truffle dealers display veritable goldmines of produce worthy of the greatest conspirators’ attention! Far away from these markets, in the heart of the Luberon, you’ll discover the “Little Truffle Market of Ménerbes,” which occurs the Sunday after Christmas in a festive and convivial ambiance. It takes place in the main square of one of the most beautiful villages in France, in the presence of the Confrérie de la Truffe (The Brotherhood of Truffles) and many other notable personalities. In a sumptuous private mansion dating from the 17th Century, the “Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon” (The Luberon House of Truffles and Wine), you’ll find an exhibition and a

shop overflowing with books and truffle-related objects and products… also an excellent place to indulge! If you decide to come after the end-of-year festivities, don’t worry: the best truffles are found in the months of January and February, and the Maison de la Truffe can create a simple dish of scrambled eggs and truffles or a gourmet menu with truffles in every course… What could be better than a truffle-scented whipped cream to accompany a rich chocolate cake!

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Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon
1 Place Horloge, 84560 Ménerbes
04 90 72 38 37
www.vin-truffe-luberon.com