My worst memory of truffles hasn’t faded. I was traveling in Italy and bought a bottle of truffle oil as a gift for a friend who loves to cook. An expensive gift, but she’s worth it. I wrapped the bottle inside several layers of clothing and gently nestled it in the middle of my suitcase. Back stateside, it was easy to identify my suitcase as it circled the conveyor belt. It was the one that reeked of truffle oil. Unpacking the suitcase required that I hold my breath as I unfurled each damp and oily item. The musky, earthy smell saturated everything. Nothing about it was appetizing. For years afteward, I was unable to stomach anything truffle-related. But I finally turned the corner this fall. It happened while I was in France. I tasted ravioli with freshly shaved truffle. It took me to heaven, not back to the stench and stained lining of my long-abandoned suitcase. But it’s more than the taste that has me embracing truffles again. It’s learning about the specialty markets for truffles. One of the best is Richerenches, well north of Avignon in Provence. 
My friend Caroline, who is from Provence, contributed a report of the riches to be found–and spent–there. She drove there on roads that hug the Côtes-du-Rhone vineyards and lead to the small walled town that’s known for its truffle market. The fragrance of these prized mushrooms hit the nose fast. Tuber melanosporum, otherwise known as “black diamonds,” of various sizes can be found at the Richerenches market during truffle season. 
They’re sometimes brushed or even cut open to determine their quality, and then weighed like precious gems. 
One can even buy little oak saplings that might produce truffles in years to come, for anyone with enough patience and suitable soil. 
Some sections of the market are for wholesalers only. Buyers for restaurants and other agents cluster near the rear of sellers’ cars and vans, negotiating prices and doing deals. Judging by the facial expressions, this is a serious business where wads of cash are exchanged for mounds of mushrooms. 
Richerenches takes its reverence for the truffle to an all-time high at its annual Truffles Mass (la messe de la truffe). This celebration is held the third Sunday in January. It includes a procession of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Diamond. Hold the coins and bills; only truffles go into the church’s collection basket on this special Sunday.
In addition to Richerenches, both Carpentras and Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux host truffle festivals during the season. The truffle market in Richerenches is open every Saturday from late November through early March. Truffles sold to the general trade in Richerenches average about 120 euros (about $160) / 100 grams (roughly $640/pound). Although pricey, that’s a steal when compared to the prices reported by David Jolly in a New York Times article. According to Jolly, a shop in Paris’s chic 7th arrondissement is selling black truffles for about $1200 a pound. Jolly’s article also delves into some reasons for the declining supply of truffles (largely environmental and climate change related). Much more besides truffles can be found at the Richerenches market, even without superior sniffing skills. 
My advice is to grab a dozen fresh farm eggs since it’s hard to improve upon the most basic of truffle recipes: shaved truffle in an omelette. Do you have a favorite truffle memory or recipe? I’d love to hear from you. (A big merci to Caroline Faure for her contributions to this piece and for the photos.)
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Truffle Markets in Provence
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