Riyadh truffle festival serves up a ‘fungi town’ treat

RIYADH (Arabnews): Organizers of Saudi Arabia’s first truffle festival say they are thrilled with the public response to the event, and plan to “continue celebrating the prized delicacy and everything associated with it.”

More than 20,000 people visited the four-day festival, which ended on Saturday in Riyadh.

Truffle growers, chefs, families and tourists were among visitors who enjoyed live cooking and tasting events, as well as educational and entertainment shows at vendor pavilions.

According to Mayada Badr, CEO of organizers the Culinary Arts Commission, the festival has “laid the building block of a professional experience and a platform to celebrate the truffle.”

She told Arab News that the event highlighted the value of the Kingdom’s culinary arts in a modern and innovative way by focusing on authentic Saudi identity, she told Arab News.

The festival, organized by the CAC in collaboration with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, was held at Al-Kindi Square in Alsafarat district in Riyadh.

Truffles, the edible subterranean fungus, are prized as a food delicacy around the world.

In the Gulf region, the truffle is known as “faage,” and is regarded as the finest and most valuable desert fungus species.

The wild fungus grows up to 15 centimeters below ground in the desert, and typically weigh between 30 and 300 grams.

Truffles are generally spherical in shape, with a smooth surface and a color that varies from white to black. Some may be as small as a pistachio seed, while others can grow to the size of an apple, or even larger.

There are no set prices for truffles, which grow in many parts of the Kingdom following the rainy season in November and December. The price varies between hundreds and thousands of riyals per kilo, depending on freshness, smell and scarcity.

Badr, who is also a chef and entrepreneur, said that the festival succeeded in promoting truffle culture among different segments of society, as well as highlighting the importance of truffles in Saudi life.

Mayada Badr

“The Culinary Arts Commission is concerned with both quality and quantity. We are working to raise awareness about truffles, their value and their connection with different generations. But the festival also shed light on career and investment opportunities in the field,” she said.

The festival also focused on how the fungi grows, its nutritional value, preserving techniques and dining traditions.

“The relationship between the truffle and Saudis over generations was highlighted, with an introduction to the truffle’s connection with Saudi cuisine and traditional and modern foods,” she said.

Growers were also offered advice on care of the fungi, marketing techniques and simple approaches to improve profitability.

The festival aimed to “enhance the historical and heritage value of the truffle and its link to Saudi cuisine,” Badr said.

Recent Saudi innovations in the culinary arts were also popular among festival visitors, she added.