The Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco D’Alba (Alba White Truffle Festival) is held throughout the month of November in the Piedmont Region of Italy. Did you know that Italy’s white truffles are found in the depths of the woods by a “truffle hunter” also know in Italy as a “trifolao” who typically brings a special truffle sniffing dog along that detects the hypogeum fungus – the white truffle of Alba. These precious forms of mushrooms grow underground and have to be dug up carefully from the ground. Great respect is given for this high-priced delicacy. So much so that Italy requires a special truffle hunting license in order to hunt for them. There are many types of truffles, but the highly coveted ones, including the highly-coveted Tartufo Bianco, are some of the most expensive truffles in the world. Truffles last only a week after picking and need to be stored in the refrigerator. Learn about the life cycle of the truffle here. Truffle oil is very popular to cook with. It is a finishing oil, not a cooking oil. Try this delicious Truffle-infused Mac & Cheese by Giada de Laurentis which calls for white truffle oil.