Truffle Market 2019: Good Truffle Guaranteed

Affiche du 23ème Marche de la Truffe par Eduardo Arroyo ©DR

The 23rd Truffle Market at Jacques Chibois’ La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse on January 5th, 2019 and January 14th at Le Rouret will celebrate the Tuber Melanosporum, a Provençal mushroom with an enchanting fragrance, a gourmets’ favorite.

The Truffle Market at Jacques Chibois‘ La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse will be celebrating on January 5, 2019 – as every year for 23 years – the truffle melanosporum, a miracle of nature with an embracing and fleshy fragrance, a winter witness to the region’s gastronomy, Art de Vivre, terroir, culture and landscapes. The Truffle Market will continue the following weekend, on January 14, 2019, in the village of Le Rouret. These high in taste and color events are launching the truffle season in a dozen cities in the Alpes Maritimes, with markets where consumers will now be guaranteed to buy “the good truffles”.

Aline Bourdaire, Coseillère Municipale Déléguée à l’Evénementiel de la Ville de Grasse, Michel Santinelli, Jacques Chibois, Laurent Barberot, Jérome Viaud, et Jean-Philippe Gréco, présentent l’affiche signée Eduardo Arroyo. ©YesICannes.com

A Provencal market truffled with… perfumes

Learn more about this mysterious mushroom that grows under our feet, learn how it will sublimate your dishes, and why not, consider one’s own production as an amateur or farmer, are as many opportunities offered by the Truffle Markets, Provencal markets that also highlight the tasty produce from the local terroir with appetizing scents. The Truffle Market at La Bastide Saint Antoine inaugurates in a gourmand and friendly way the season of these events dedicated to the Tuber Melanosporum on the Grasse land. An adventure that has become a tradition on the initiative of Michel Santinelli, President of the Regional Federation of Trufficulteurs in Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Jacques Chibois, chef and owner of the Relais & Châteaux La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse.

Truffe Tuber Melanosporum, le Diamant Noir de Provence ©YesICannes.com

The largest truffle region in France

The Truffle Market is today the showcase for truffle growing in the Alpes Maritimes, a department whose truffle surfaces are increasing each year. Since June 2015, the truffle has become an “agricultural product” and can thus receive aid from the County Council, France and Europe. Provence is the largest truffle region in France, with more than half of the national production. The 7,700 hectares (including 300 in the Alpes Maritimes) produced 2,310 kg last season. About 80 truffle growers strive to enhance the areas suitable for plantations in the Alpes-Maritimes. By the quality of its soil and its climate, this department offers a strong potential for development and aims at 1,000 hectares of plantation. A way to answer to the competition from Spain, but also from New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina where the culture of the Tuber Melanosporum is expanding.

Chênes truffier ©Syndicat des Trufficulteurs

Good news for the Queen of Truffles season

The abundant rains in the Mediterranean rim in Provence this spring, and then, the quite regular showers this summer, have promoted the sexuality and development of the Tuber Melanosporum, the Queen of Truffles. To date, the upcoming harvest promises to be exciting. The truffle growers and their truffle dogs are eager to start the season at the end of November. Despite increasingly long periods of drought and the damage caused by wild boars, the truffle farmers’ union is trying to maintain affordable prices; it also ensures that the truffles sold are inspected by professionals, which allows the customer to buy quality truffles.

Présentation du livre La Truffe édité par le Syndicat des Trufficulteurs des Alpes Maritimes ©YesICannes.com

Ensure “the good truffle”, the Melanosporum!

In wholesale truffle markets, only knowledgeable professionals are buying truffles. Because of their profession, they know how to differentiate between truffles that can be in the same batch and then perform the required sorting. On the other hand, the consumers who buy on the retail market must have the guarantee of buying quality truffles. The French Federation of Trufficulteurs has published a charter to label the events that respect it. Controllers, equipped with a microscope connected to a screen, will analyze the truffles to remove any doubt to guarantee the gastronomes to take away the “good truffle”, the fresh Melanosporum. To this end, the federation pointed out that truffle oils do not contain any natural aroma, but only synthetic ones… The Syndicat des Trufficulteurs des Alpes Maritimes issued a Book La Truffe in which Chefs and “rabassiers” unveil secrets and recipes.

Truffe & rabassier au Marché de la Truffe ©YesICannes.com

Gourmet and cultural winter tourism

Promise of gastronomic feasts, the truffle is becoming popular with the general public, who, with this Black Diamond of Provence, wishes to acquire a share of happiness of the senses. The landscapes that this mysterious mushroom is modeling by its culture at the foot of the oaks and the high gastronomy that it inspires are the themes of a true gourmet and cultural winter tourism. The 23rd Truffle Market will continue during the week with gastronomic events in the villages of Grasse and, throughout the winter, with Truffle Festivals in various cities of the Côte d’Azur. The development of truffle tourism is at the origin of the creation of a label: La Provence de la Truffe, which each partner of a future Truffle Route can display. Through the truffle, it is therefore the Provençal terroir that is valued.

Arroyo – Dans la cuisine d’Adrienne Monnier – 2016 ©DR

Poster by the painter Eduardo Arroyo

Michel Santinelli, President of the Syndicat des Trufficulteurs des Alpes Maritimes, and Michelin-starred chef Jacques Chibois presented at La Bastide Saint Antoine the program of the 23rd Truffle Market to be held in Grasse and then at Le Rouret. The Truffle Market poster, made this year by Eduardo Arroyo, painter-sculptor, writer and Spanish theater designer, was unveiled in the presence of Jérôme Viaud, Mayor of Grasse and Jean-Philippe Gréco, new County President of truffle farmers. With the poster of the 23rd Market of the Truffle, Eduardo Arroyo signed one of his last works. This famous figure of French-Spanish arts that mixed realism and sarcasm, indeed passed away on October 14th. The Maeght Foundation in Vence had exhibited his works during the summer of 2017.

Allocution de Jérôme Viaud ©YesICannes.com

Objective Truffle 1000 already tripled!

The dynamic Mayor of Grasse Jérôme Viaud has highlighted the strong potential of truffle oaks pantation Alpes Maritimes where the truffle likes to grow. Solicited by Michel Santinelli, Jérôme Viaud initiated on November 5, 2009, a contract plan called Truffle 1000. With 320 hectares and 3,000 oak trees planted, the goal is already tripled! This fall, 350 new seedlings went to populate the soil favorable to truffle farming in the Alpes Maritimes thanks to aids for farmers and individuals. Jérôme Viaud concluded his address by thanking “Maître Jacques” with these words: “Jacques Chibois is a beacon for the truffle!”

Un parfum envoûtant ©YesICannes.com

Program of January 5, 2019 – Grasse – Bastide Saint Antoine:

Market of truffles and regional agricultural products. Demonstration of truffle dogs. Tasting workshop on the market place. Manifestation under the patronage of the artist Eduardo Arroyo. All day, on the stand of the Trufficulteurs Union, information and advice on truffle farming.
9h30: Opening to the public and opening of the market. Sale of truffles and local agricultural products.
10h30, 11h, 11h30, 12h, 15h: demonstrations of truffle dogs.
12h: tasting truffle dishes on the market square.
12:15 pm: Apéritif d’honneur.
Gastronomic meal by Michelin-starred chef Jacques Chibois
17h00: Draw of the big competition organized during the day. To win: a basket packed with all products on the market with 250 g of tuber melanosporum truffle.
New this year: relay parking at the roundabout of the Alambic, with free shuttles.

Foie gras truffé au Marché de la Truffe ©YesICannes.com

Truffle Market in Le Rouret

The Truffle Market will continue on January 14 at Le Rouret near Grasse with a large Provençal Market from 10am to 4pm. To discover the culture of the truffle in situ, the Mayor of Rouret Gérald Lombardo invites the public to visit from 9am to 12pm the experimental truffle field of the town. All morning, bus shuttles will be available to the public from the Town Hall.
At 15h, a conference on the truffle and its culture will reveal the potential of production in the Alpes Maritimes. At 4.30 pm, Chef Daniel Ettlinger, from Le Clos Saint Pierre, will demonstrate a dish with truffle to the public.
Every Friday, a truffle market will be held in the square.

Le talentueux chef exécutif Laurent Barbero ©YesICannes.com

Prelude to the gastronomic pleasures of the Truffle Market

The presentation of the 23rd Truffle Market at the Bastide Saint Antoine ended with a delicious meal which displayed all the talent and crativity of chef Jacques Chibois and Executive Chef Laurent Barberot, all with truffles of the season, the Truffle of Burgundy (Tuber uncinatum). Photos YesICannes.com

Mousseux of Mushrooms with Chestnuts, Truffles Foam

Raw and cooked scallops in their shells, Condiment of Celéri and Horseradish, Cream of Salsify with Mousseux of Beurre Noisette

White Asparagus from Le Perthuis with Season Truffle

Roasted Quail Chicken with Sliced Vegetables

Garden Figs poached with Spices, Pistachio Crémeux, Biscuit with Almonds, Juice of Fig Leaves

Coffee and Mignardises

23rd Truffle Market
Bastide Saint Antoine January 5, 2019 and January 14 at Le Rouret
Informations: Grasse: +33 (0)4 93 36 66 66 – Le Rouret: +33 (0)4 93 77 20 02

Gastronomic lunch – Reservations
La Bastide Saint Antoine – Jacques Chibois
48, avenue Henri Dunant
06130 Grasse
+33 (0)4 93 70 94 94

www.jacques-chibois.com

Presentation of the Truffle Market 2019 in pictures

Click on pictures to enlarge – ©YesICannes.com – All rights reserved