Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A price not to truffled at

A Hong Kong property tycoon and his wife have reportedly paid US$160,406 for a huge Italian white truffle, which may be the world's most expensive ever.

Gordon Wu and his wife outbid connoisseurs from France and Italy to win the 1.5-kilogram Alba white truffle from an international auction on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which hosted the Hong Kong part of the auction, said Tuesday.

It was the second time Hong Kong bidders won a pricey fungus at the annual auction, held in Grizane, Italy and satellite-linked with Paris and Hong Kong.

Last year, a group of bidders in Hong Kong paid $121,800 for a 1.2-kilogram truffle, a purchase later named by Guinness World Records as the most valuable truffle bought at an auction, said Ritz-Carlton spokeswoman Claudia Hardt.

Guinness World Records officials couldn't immediately be reached to confirm the claim.

White truffles, known for their extravagant price tag and strong, garlic-like scent, grow underground with tree roots. They're eaten uncooked or shaved into pasta, salad, omelettes and other dishes.

2 comments:

yellowdoggranny said...

wish i had to money to fly to hong kong so i could bitch slap them..

dom said...

Go out truffle hunting , so you can realise your dream :)