Organised by the Association des Trufficulteurs Audois, these typical markets take place on a Saturday morning, once a month, from December to February. This is the period during which the Tuber Melanosporum is harvested in the three Aude communes, including Moussoulens and Villeneuve-Minervois in Greater Carcassonne.
EAT LOCAL
A local farmers' market runs alongside the truffle markets, selling produce such as: wine, conserves, local crafts, truffle plants, and special tools, like the Grattou, which is used to search for truffles...
The truffle is certainly known for being very expensive, because it is rare, but in a cooking workshop with local chefs, you will learn that you only need a tiny amount to add a powerful flavour to your dish.
If you don't want to try cooking it yourself, taste it at one of the markets in a scrambled egg dish or truffle butter, accompanied by some mulled wine. Restaurants in the area serve dishes prepared with local truffles during this period.
A REAL CEREMONY
Before they can be sold, the truffles at these markets are systematically checked by an inspector from the Chambre de l’Agriculture de l’Aude.
The gun shot at precisely 11:00am releases the rope which separates the buyers from the stalls!
Everything happens very quickly: choosing, weighing, paying… everyone goes back to their stove... with their treasure
The calendar
