November 9, 200421 yr At least the proceeds go to charity... Restaurateur Buys Most Expensive Truffle ROME - New York restaurateur Francesco Giambelli dished out a record $41,000 for a 2.4-pound prize Italian white truffle, auction organizers said Monday. The 85-year-old, who owns Giambelli 50th on New York's East Side, beat off an unnamed opponent in Moscow to claim the largest truffle ever to be sold at an auction, auction director Davide Paolini said. "It was very aggressive," he said. "No one has ever paid this much for a truffle." Considered a delicacy since Roman times, truffles are a fungus that forms in symbiosis with tree roots. Italy's white truffles sell for around 10 times the price of France's black variety. The auction was held Sunday evening in a castle in northwestern Italy and restaurants in New York and Moscow, all connected by a satellite link. It was the sixth annual edition of the event, but the first time Moscow has participated. In past years, bidding also has taken place in Japan and Los Angeles. In total the auction raised $135,000 from the sale of 19 truffles. The proceeds will be given to charities in the United States, Italy, and Russia. Wow, just wow.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.