Over 58kg of the Dordogne‘s most infamous delicacy was on display in Sarlat this week as the traditional Feast of the Truffle took place.

As part of the regional celebration of the rare black Perigord truffle, a mushroom beloved by gourmets throughout both history and the modern world, Sarlat played host to a dedicated truffle market. For the weekend of the 16th January truffle hunters from throughout Dordogne could be found in the town’s Fenelon Street, hawking their delicacies from stalls provided by the organisers.

Despite fears among the organisers that last weeks heavy frosts would devastate the region’s fresh produce of the black truffle, 58 kilogrammes of the finest quality truffles were brought to Fenelon street. Described as ‘the mecca of all connoisseurs” by Sud-Ouest.com, truffles ranged in price from between 600 and 900 euros per kilo.

Visitors were invited to sniff, scan and feel to find the best examples among the earthy produce. As part of Sarlat’s celebrations for the Feast of the Truffle, there were also cooking and tasting events by chef’s and producers from both the region and the rest of France.

These chefs differed in their opinion on the best way to serve the famous ‘black diamond’ – a name chosen because of the shape and colour of the truffle. Jean-Pierre Clement of the Fauchon Paris Group told Sud-ouest.com that he preferred them raw, “grated on a slice of salted butter; the essence of truffles!”. His opinion was reportedly shared by many other of the visiting gourmets, influenced away from the traditional accompanying brouillade due to the cold weather. According to the website, “truffled scrambled eggs is not a dish best served cold”.

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3. Scientific American reveals the hidden life of the Dordogne Diamond
4. Truffle museum opens in the Dordogne
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