Giant truffle auctioned for $330,000

[slowhand]

FLORENCE, Italy - A Macau casino mogul bid a record $330,00 at auction Saturday to win a giant white truffle dug up in Tuscany, organizers said.


Billionaire Stanley Ho made the winning bid for the 3.3 pound truffle during an auction staged simultaneously in Florence, London and at Ho's Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau, said auction organizer Giselle Oberti.

The price bested the previous record for a truffle of $212,000, she said.




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071201...ant_truffle;_ylt=AmWaEVHiKFIc6TEPv5SX5K2s0NUE

 

[zell]

Has anyone ever tasted a truffle? For the life of me I can't figure out why they are so damn expensive.

 

[cartman24]

Wow, what a giant waste of money...

 

[BNF]

http://board.freeones.com/showthread.php?t=72055

The season started in October and I haven't had my fill yet.

 

[Will E Worm]

$330,000 for a 3.3 pound truffle!?

When you need to tell the world just how wealthy you are.....

 

[tartanterrier]

Looks like a giant pork scratching :eek:

 

[D-rock]

Truffles might be ok, but there is no way I would ever spend the money they cost for them.

 

[Imagine]

There's not a Chance in hell I'd ever spend money on fungi.

 

[Will E Worm]

Here's a few truffles I wouldn't mind having right now. flylicker

Birnn Chocolates

Swiss

 

[ChefChiTown]

Has anyone ever tasted a truffle? For the life of me I can't figure out why they are so damn expensive.

It's because they're hard to find. People have to rely on specially trained pigs and/or dogs just to find them (they use their sense of smell). Personally, I think truffles are great...I just don't see the hype though. :dunno:

 

[Legzman]

I always figured it was a pastry of some kind. Shows how little I know!

 

[ChefChiTown]

I always figured it was a pastry of some kind. Shows how little I know!

Actually...IT IS!!!

The chocolate truffles you're thinking of are just called truffles because they sort of resemble the fungus (truffle). But, they don't taste anywhere close!

 

[Legzman]

So this guy paid almost a half million dollars for a fucking piece of mold?

 

[senob44]

The best truffles are always found by the Truffleupagus. He is the brother of Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. His large proboscis makes it easy to locate the scent.

 

[D-rock]

I thought if that was $330,000, then if my calculations are right I should be able to pay them $10 dollars. That should be just enough for them to let me lick it a few times.

 

[ChefChiTown]

The best truffles are always found by the Truffleupagus. He is the brother of Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. His large proboscis makes it easy to locate the scent.

You're really proud of yourself for that one, aren't you?