At the 25th World Alba White Truffle Auction, held on November 10 in Hong Kong, a rare 908g (2lb) Alba white truffle fetched an impressive HK$1.2 million (US$154,000). This high price was part of a single lot that also included a four-day stay in Italy’s Piedmont region and a luxurious eight-person dining experience at Castellana, a Hong Kong restaurant specializing in Piedmontese cuisine. The auction raised a total of HK$3 million, benefiting the Mother’s Choice charity, which provides support to vulnerable children and pregnant teenagers in Hong Kong.
Bidders from around the world participated in the event, including those from Singapore, Vienna, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Seoul, and Alba. A Hong Kong bidder ultimately won the main lot, which made history as one of the largest bids in the auction’s 25-year history. This sale was not the first time Hong Kong has seen such lavish bidding on Alba white truffles. In 2005, a group of wealthy Hongkongers paid a world-record HK$863,000 for a 1.2kg truffle, and in 2006, businessman Gordon Wu Ying-sheung broke that record by paying HK$1.25 million for a truffle weighing between 1.5kg and 1.59kg.
The event, organized by Castellana founder Matteo Morello at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, featured a luxurious six-course dinner prepared by renowned chefs Romeo Morelli of Castellana, Angelo Agliano of Tosca Di Angelo, and Mandarin Oriental chefs Robin Zavou and Matthew Reuther. The evening’s culinary offerings showcased the best of Piedmontese cuisine, paired with the excitement of the truffle auction.
This year’s auction saw the second-highest bid ever for the main lot, just shy of the record set in previous years. Morello expressed his gratitude for the continued support, emphasizing that the funds raised will help provide vital resources to children in need. As a part of the ongoing tradition, the auction is not only a celebration of luxury but also an important fundraiser for a good cause, ensuring that the proceeds go to support the work of Mother’s Choice.
The event highlighted both the continued global appetite for rare delicacies like the Alba white truffle and Hong Kong’s ongoing generosity toward charitable causes.
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