DUBAI: White truffles from Alba are one of the rarest, most prized — and most expensive — things in the world of gastronomy. The annual charity auction in Alba, where they come from, is an 18-year-old tradition that was brought to the Middle East for the first time earlier this week.
An initiative of the Italian Restaurant Consulting Group, the Middle East edition of the World Alba White Truffle Auction aimed to put the region on the global culinary map, while contributing to a cause.
Historically, the auction has been held at Grinzane Castle in Alba, Italy — the home of the hyper-seasonal mushroom — and has only traveled to Hong Kong and Philadelphia in previous years. This year, the event was held simultaneously in three locations, Alba, Hong Kong and Dubai, with all three locations connected through satellite.
“We succeeded in bringing this auction here because we believe we have the right kind of people here, who are willing to spend for a cause, and also, there’s a good understanding of what truffles are, and their value,” said Aira Piva, general manager of Italian Restaurant Consulting.
Three truffles were auctioned off in Dubai n Nov 12 to an exclusive invitee-only audience of VIPs from across the GCC. The winning bidders not only get to own their own mushroom, but they also get a bespoke dinner in Dubai’s top restaurants, including Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes W1. The truffles, which started from a weight of 200 grams, were sold for AED 19,000 ($5172), AED 21,000, and AED 25,000 each.
All the proceeds from the Dubai auction go toward the Al Jalila Foundation, a non-profit established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, which plans to use the resources toward research of childhood diabetes and their “Road to awareness” campaign.
The showstopper of the evening was a rare signature truffle, weighing 450g, which was auctioned across all three locations in a simulcast, with the winning bid being taken out by Hong Kong for the second year in a row. While it was hoped that Dubai would break the world record this year, it was pipped to the post by Hong Kong, which held on to its distinction of being home to the highest bidder who bought the truffle for €75,000 ($88,443)
As Piva summed up, “truffles are very ephemeral, they are just about pleasure when you eat. Using it for charity adds a new level, gives it substantial meaning — to take something that is usually used for pure enjoyment, to help save a life.”
What is a truffle?
Truffles are particular kind of subterranean mushroom, usually found close to tree roots. The Ascomycete fungus is a species of tuber, and there are two kinds used in gastronomy – black and white. White truffles (or Tuber magnatum) are the rarer variety which cannot be farmed or manufactured, and are only found during a very short season between October and November, mainly in the Piedmont region of Italy.
According to Massimo Vidono, the go-to person for chefs and restaurants across the region when sourcing truffles, “truffles are a true gift of Mother Nature. You have to look for them, using specially trained dogs or pigs — some seasons you find lots, some seasons you don’t. That’s what makes them so special.”
Their unique flavor and aroma can only be described as umami and is available in high-end Italian and contemporary fusion restaurants as a seasonal menu item – with high price tags to match.
Billed as the first in the Mideast, truffle auction raises over $17,000 for charity
Billed as the first in the Mideast, truffle auction raises over $17,000 for charity
In southeast Pakistan, Ramadan brings Hindus and Muslims closer
MITHI: Partab Shivani, a Hindu in Muslim-majority Pakistan, has fasted on and off during Ramadan for years, but this time is different as he practices abstinence for the entire holy month.
Every year, he and his friends in the southeastern city of Mithi arrange iftar, when Muslims break their daily fast, to foster peace and solidarity between the two religions.
“I believe we need to promote interfaith harmony. First, we are humans — religions came later,” Shivani, a 48-year-old social activist, told AFP, adding that he also reads the teachings of the Buddha.
“His message is about peace and ending war. Peace can spread through solidarity and by standing with one another. Distance only widens the gap between people,” he added.
Ninety-six percent of Pakistan’s 240 million people are Muslim. Just two percent are Hindu, most of them living in rural areas of Sindh province where Mithi is located.
In Mithi itself, most of the 60,000 inhabitants are Hindu.
Many of the city’s Hindus also observe Ramadan and iftar has become a social gathering where people from both faiths happily participate.
“This has been a wonderful tradition of ours for a very long time,” said Mir Muhammad Buledi, a 51-year-old Muslim friend who attended Shivani’s iftar gathering.
“It is a beautiful example of harmony between the two communities.”
Like brothers
Discrimination against minorities runs deep in Pakistan.
Following the end of British rule in South Asia in 1947, the subcontinent was partitioned into mainly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
That triggered widespread religious bloodshed in which hundreds of thousands were killed and millions displaced.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, freedom of religion or belief is under constant threat, with religiously motivated violence and discrimination increasing yearly.
State authorities, often using religious unrest for political gain, have failed to address the crisis, the independent non-profit says.
But such tensions are absent in Mithi.
“I am a Hindu but I keep all the fasts during this month,” said Sushil Malani, a local politician. “I feel happy standing with my Muslim brothers.
“We celebrate Eid together as well. This tradition in the region is very old.”
Restaurants and tea stalls are closed across Pakistan during Ramadan.
Ramesh Kumar, a 52-year-old Hindu man who sells sweets and savoury items outside a Muslim shrine, keeps his push cart covered and closed until iftar.
“There is no discrimination among us if someone is Muslim or Hindu. I have been seeing this since my childhood that we all live together like brothers,” he said.
Muslim shrine, Hindu caretaker
Locals say Mithi’s peaceful religious coexistence can be traced to its remote location, emerging from the sand dunes of the Tharparkar desert, which borders the modern Indian state of Rajasthan.
Cows — considered sacred in Hinduism — roam freely in Mithi city, as they do in neighboring India.
At two Sufi Muslim shrines in the middle of the city, Hindu families arrange meals, bringing fruit, meals and juices for their Muslim neighbors to break their fasts.
“We respect Muslims,” said Mohan Lal Malhi, a Hindu caretaker of one of the shrines.
Mohan said his parents and elders taught him to respect people regardless of religion or color, and the traditions pass from one generation to the next.
Local residents said both communities consider their social relationships more important than their religious identity.
“You will see a (Sikh) gurdwara, a mosque, and a shrine standing side by side here,” Mohan said. “The atmosphere of this area teaches humanity.”
