Truffle market in France, in Tricastin

Truffle Growers
of the Coteaux
de Saint Paul-Trois-Châteaux

Tricastin is the main place for French production of the Tuber Melanosporum, the black truffle (60 % of national production).
This prestigious "black diamond", once intensely consumed, has become rare and today makes for a refined dish in the best restaurants.

Its so specific characteristics make it a mysterious and unique delicacy : an underground life, a very uncommon black colour, a woody odour and a strong taste. This fungus nonetheless seems to have found in our lands the quite particular conditions to grow and develop naturally : a tree, preferably an oak, a calcareous enough soil and finally a Mediterranean type climate.

The exceptional market in St Paul-Trois-Châteaux in the South of France
The only market that privileges the truffle and offers it exclusively to private individuals.
Truffles classed by variety and quality. A supervisory commission operates before the market opens. A single price displayed by all sellers for the same variety of truffle. A certified control scale for the customers. Sold in alimentary bags bearing the name of the Association.

Truffle market in the South of France

For a long time, the truffle market remained a closed, wholesale market, the truffles sold by the truffle growers to retailers who had the task of packaging them and selling them on to restaurant owners and other consumers.
Our market in St Paul Trois Châteaux, in the South of France, was born of the willingness of the region's truffle growers to take the truffle out of this discreet route and to let the people of the Tricastin and truffle lovers from all regions enjoy directly this marvelous product. The best way was to present the truffle on an open market, respecting the production of the truffle of the Tricastin.

"Canifé" means that the truffle is slightly nicked with a knife or a pocket knife to display the flesh, which is different depending on the variety. This slit lets you see the blackness of the truffle, proof of its maturity.

Once the market is organized, the truffle growers, gathering together before the opening, entrust their harvest to three experts designated by the truffle growers at the start of the season. The truffles gathered during the week are exhibited, brushed, sorted by variety and "caniféed" in order to present the diversity of the produce.