ʻO ke kūlanakauhale Italia o San Miniato i kapa pinepine ʻia ʻo "City of White Truffles". I kēlā me kēia Nowemapa, mālama ʻia kahi hoʻomaha kuʻuna i hoʻolaʻa ʻia no kēia mau halo maikaʻi - ʻO kaʻahaʻaina truffle keʻokeʻo… Holo ia i ka Pōʻalima a me nā Lāpule a puni ʻo Nowemapa, e hoʻomaka ana ma ka Pōʻaono lua o ka mahina, e ʻumeume ana i nā gourmets mai nā wahi a puni o ka honua.
Akā i ka 2020, ma muli o ka maʻi ahulau coronavirus, hiki ke hoʻopau ʻia nā hanana hoʻolauleʻa.
ʻO nā truffle keʻokeʻo ka haʻaheo o ʻItalia, a ʻo nā truffle keʻokeʻo mai kēia wahi i kapa ʻia ʻo "King of Food" (Tuber Magnatum Pico), ua manaʻo ʻia lākou he mau momona momona. Ma aneʻi i loaʻa ai ka truffle keʻokeʻo nui loa o ka honua, he 2,5 kg ke kaupaona.
Kaulana nā momi kūloko ʻaʻole wale no ko lākou nui, akā no ko lākou ʻano hoʻi. Hāʻawi ʻia nā keʻokeʻo keʻokeʻo mai San Miniato i nā hale ʻaina maikaʻi loa o ka honua. Heʻuʻuku lākou a he ʻala ka hohonu ma mua o nā truffles ʻeleʻele mai Palani, a ua manaʻo ʻia he ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi ma mua o nā mea Farani, a ʻo kā lākou kumukūʻai i kekahi manawa ua ʻoi aku i ka ʻelua kaukani kālā no kēlā me kēia kilokilo. Ua kākau ʻo Brillat Savarin: "Hoʻonui ka truffles i nā wahine i ke aloha a me nā kāne i ke aloha."
ʻO ka wā ʻohiʻohi no kēia mau ʻalalā ma Italia ʻo Nowemapa. ʻO ka truffle keʻokeʻo he wā pōkole ia; ulu ia ma nā aʻa o nā kumu lāʻau a hoʻomaka e mae i ka wā e lawe ʻia ai mai ka honua. ʻOiai ma lalo o nā kūlana kūpono loa, hiki iā ia ke mālama i kāna ʻono no 10 mau lā wale nō. No laila, hele mai nā gourmets maoli i ka hoʻolauleʻa a nānā i mua i ke ʻano o nā hou i nā hale ʻaina kūloko. Eia kekahi, aia i kēia manawa hiki iā ʻoe ke kūʻai a hoʻāʻo iā lākou i nā kumu kūʻai hoʻemi. Ma ke ala, ʻai pinepine nā truffle keʻokeʻo i ka maka, ʻoki mua ʻia i nā ʻāpana lahilahi. Akā he nui nō nā kīʻaha i hana ʻia mai kēia mau ʻalalā maikaʻi.
Ma San Miniato, hoʻomākaukau lākou no ka hoʻolauleʻa makahiki me ka mālama nui: hoʻonohonoho lākou i nā mea ʻono a me nā papa haku, kahi a lākou e wehewehe ai pehea e koho a hoʻomākaukau ai i nā truffle, a hoʻonohonoho pū i kahi kūkālā truffle, kahi e lilo ai ka mea nona ka punahele punahele. ma ka uku ʻana i kahi kālā nui. A i ʻole ʻo ia iho paha e "ʻimi" i nā truffles ma lalo o ke alakaʻi a kahi "triphalau" ʻike (truffle hunter).
ʻO ka truffle keʻokeʻo ʻaʻole wale kahi ʻono kūʻokoʻa, akā kekahi o nā mea nui o ka ʻoihana a me ka moʻomeheu kūloko. Hoʻololi ka White Truffle Festival i ke kūlanakauhale i kahi ākea ākea nui no ka aneane hoʻokahi mahina, kahi hiki ʻole iā ʻoe ke kūʻai wale i kāu meaʻai punahele, akā e ʻono pū i ka meaʻai kūloko me ka hoʻohana ʻana i kēia mau halo kaulana - risottos, pasta, sauces, butter, creams, fondue…
Ma ke ʻano o ka lā hoʻomaha, hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻono a kūʻai aku ʻaʻole wale i nā truffles, akā ʻo nā waina Italia maikaʻi loa, nā snails, cheeses a me ka ʻaila ʻoliva. I loko nō hoʻi o nā lā o ka ʻahaʻaina, mālama ʻia nā hana keaka like ʻole, nā hana ʻaʻahu a me nā hōʻike mele ma nā alanui o ke kūlanakauhale.