Today we spent part of the morning at the second of this year's truffle market at Marigny-Marmande. We had intended to go last week but as it was raining we decided against because we thought the market was outdoors. We only discovered later that it is held in the village's salles des fêtes. Just as well as it was again raining hard today and thoroughly miserable. 

A top quality truffle

We arrived about 9.45am when it was still relatively quiet but it soon got very busy. There were a number of truffle sellers present but also a number of other stalls selling 'les produits du terroir'. 1000€ appeared to be the going rate for top quality truffles. This, if I remember rightly, was the same price as it was in Vaucluse about five years ago when I went on a truffle and Rasteau press trip.

Over the past few years Touraine has seen the revivial of the 'production and harvesting' of truffles. Apparently in the Middle Ages there was a very large truffle market held at Richelieu. I bought a copy of a pamphlet called La fouace chere a Rabelais/ la Truffe en Touraine (3€) produced by the Association Géohistorique d'Information sur le Patrimoine. 

Truffle seller nosing one of his truffles (above and below)

More truffle sellers

As well as food there were several wine producers showing their wines. These included Luc Bizard (Château d'Epiré, Savennières), Christine de Mianville (Jasnières) and Bruno Breton (Domaine du Carroi, Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas-de-Bourgueil).

Christine de Mianville with her 2008 Les Cotières, Jasnières

Truffles@ Richerenches in the Vaucluse

Marigny-Marmande

As far as I know this is the most established truffle market in Touraine. Truffles are a growing business in the Loire with more and more truffle oak being planted. The first market in the 2010-2011 season will be on Tuesday 21st December (the shortest day in year). After that there is a market on Tuesday 28th January. Then the second and fourth Saturday of January with the last one on the second Saturday of February.  

'Marché aux truffes - 21 et 28 décembre - 2ème et 4éme samedi de janvier - 2éme samedi de février. De 8h00 à 13h30 - Salle Polyvalente'

Further details here – although there is a disagreement about start time.

Truffle seller in Richerenches (Rhône Valley)

La Nouvelle République reports today that the 2009/10 truffle season has been hit by the recent cold weather – too much ice and snow. December started well but the weather in January and now into February has hit the production of truffles with the last truffle market of the season at Marigny-Marmande (the leading truffle market in the Loire) having only seven kilos to sell. Overall this year France has produced only 15 tonnes of black truffles compared to 50 last season.

For story click here.

Richerenches: Lots of truffles!

Photos of Richerenches taken during a press trip in January 2006, which concentrated on Rasteau and truffles.

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L'Hotel de Ville, Tours

Report in today's La Nouvelle République about the increasing number of truffles now being grown in Indre-et-Loire with news of the first truffle market in Tours on Wednesday 30th December at L'Hotel de Ville, Place Jean Jaurès. Marigny-Marmande (between Sainte-Maure-en-Touraine and Châtellerault) held the 16th edition of its annual truffle fair yesterday.

The Loire, in particular Indre-et-Loire, used to be famous for its truffles. Following the arrival of phylloxera in the region in the later half of the 19th century, a number of vignerons diversified and planted truffle oaks. The trade in truffles continued until the start of the First World War. Over the past decade or so there has been a renaissance.

'Hier à Marigny-Marmande, dans huit jours, à Tours. Les rendez-vous populaires autour de la truffe se multiplient. La truffe de Touraine fait parler d'elle.

La Touraine, ce n'est pas que l'andouillette et les rillons : c'est aussi la truffe. Eh oui ! La véritable truffe (Tuber melanosporum, dite truffe du Périgord) n'est pas la propriété du Sud de la France ou de l'Italie. L'Indre-et-Loire compte des truffières réputées et ici aussi, comme en Berry ou en Saumurois, on produit le champignon le plus cher du monde.'

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