Tartufi Morra
The History of Alba Truffles
Tartufi Morra was established in Alba in 1930. Founded by Giacomo Morra, it was the first company to market and offer products made with the Alba White Truffle, the renowned Tuber Magnatum Pico. And it is thanks to Giacomo Morra that the White Truffle became a favourite on the tables of connoisseurs all over the world. He was behind the creation of the International Alba White Truffle Fair, which still attracts connoisseurs, visitors and tourists from every corner of the globe.
Giacomo Morra believed strongly in the potential of the Alba White Truffle and the promotion of the territory. In love with the Langhe, he intuitively assigned the truffle a special symbolic value. During the Fair, year after year, he would choose the largest truffle and present it as a gift to a celebrity of the time. Personalities who subsequently became part of history received the Truffle of the Year: Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, Ike Eisenhower and Sofia Loren, to name but a few.
“The Truffle of the Year was a brilliant marketing idea, which helped make the Tuber Magnatum Pico a highly desirable object”.
The historic shop at number 3 Piazza Pertinace in Alba is now run by the Bonino family. A landmark for the city, a must for tourists wishing to take home a taste of the area's most representative flavours. Tartufi Morra is the only company that can display the coat of arms of the city of Alba in its logo. There is an indissoluble link between Tartufi Morra and Alba: a union that has lasted for generations. A company that is now renowned throughout the world. The brand is a symbol of the history of Italian cuisine. Visit the online shop to discover the wide range of truffle delicacies.
Gallery
Tartufi Morra's Range
White Truffle of Alba - Tuber Magnatum Pico
Season: September - December. Ideal to consume with sliver on raw meat, fondue, tagliatelle with butter, risotto, fried eggs, toma d'Alba
Black Winter Truffle - Tuber Melanosporum Vitt.
Season: December - March. Appreciated especially by French cuisine that exalts the characteristics through cooking, but can be also used in raw form. Whole: slivers on fillet, fondue, eggs in the pan, tagliatelle. Diced: sauté with oil and a clove of garlic, salt and pepper. The preparation can be used on pasta dishes, main courses, omelettes and eggs.
Black Summer Truffle - Tuber Aestivum Vitt.
Season: June - October. Less perfumed and flavourful than the winter truffle, more preferably used cooked. Whole: slivers on fillet, fondue, eggs in the pan, tagliatelle. Diced: sauté with oil and a clove of garlic, salt and pepper. The preparation can be used on pasta dishes, main courses, omelettes and eggs.
Black Autumn Truffle - Tuber Uncinatum Chatin
Season: October - December. It is qualitatively between the Black Winter Truffle and the Summer Truffle. More preferably used cooked. Whole: slivers on fillet, fondue, eggs in the pan, tagliatelle. Diced: sauté with oil and a clove of garlic, salt and pepper. The preparation can be used on pasta dishes, main courses, omelettes and eggs.
Truffle Products
Assortment of truffle specialities- Preserved Truffles, Olive Oils, Tagiatelle, Sauces and Salt. Experience the emotion of excellence at the table.
Frozen Mushrooms
Porcini, Chanterelles, Morels and Mix. Selections of the finest mushrooms.
Giacomo Morra
Founder of Tartufi Morra
King of the Truffle
At the age of 19, he started working in a trattoria in the town of Gallo. A few years later, together with his brothers Andrea, Giovanni and Matteo, he opened Ristorante delle Langhe in Alba. In 1928 he bought the Hotel Savona and began working on promoting the area via the truffle. Together with his wife Teresa, he became a point of reference for tourists: the Hotel closed only after the arrival of the last train to Alba and opened before the departure of the first one in the morning.
In 1929 Giacomo Morra launched the first edition of the Truffle Fair. The idea behind the event was linked to another celebration of the time, the Festa della Vendemmia, to celebrate the grape harvest, held every autumn in the town of Alba. Initially, the Truffle Fair was an event celebrated during the Festa della Vendemmia but the Fair gradually gained importance and became more famous than the previous celebration.
A year later, in 1930, Giacomo established Tartufi Morra, the first company dedicated to the marketing and processing of the Alba White Truffle. A restaurateur with great culinary intuition, he invented a considerable number of antipasti. And he devised a system for preserving truffles. His entrepreneurial skills and ability to promote the area's fine food and wine earned him the title of King of the Truffle. It was Enzo Arnaldi that gave him this name, in a long interview published in Stampa Sera on the 29th of October 1936.
