Probably, just reading the title of this text, you have felt several things, including “this kind of product is not for me”. Even so, I ask you to stay. Let me try to explain why we work with it and what makes Tuber magnatum so irresistible.
First of all, my advice if you go to a restaurant and want to try it: order it, close your eyes, smell it. If that intoxicating aroma doesn’t move something inside you, move on to another dish. In that case, this product is indeed not for you.
White truffle, no matter how much some have tried to put it in that category of products we won’t name today, made almost for a group of snobs, they are wrong. White truffle is wild and, no matter how hard they have tried to industrialize it, they have not succeeded. It is a product that needs to be hunted, one by one, living in a mystical symbiosis with oaks, hazelnuts and willows. It needs exact soil and humidity, which is why it requires an old forest with many mixed species, so the soil is alive and the magic happens. It lives in an extremely fragile balance and needs everything to align to appear. That is why, with the temperatures of recent years, the season is getting shorter and we will see what happens in the future.
For now, let’s enjoy this treasure that truffle hunters and their dogs guard with such secrecy. They are still there, every year, underground, in silence, absorbing nutrients from the trees, invisible, waiting for a nose to wake them, bring them to the surface and close the circle.
I understood that circle for the first time a few years ago, with my friend Stefano, visiting Angelo Gaja’s winery in the middle of white truffle season. Afterwards we went to the truffle fair and, walking towards it, all the streets were flooded with that characteristic and irresistible smell. There it is served very traditionally, giving full protagonism to the product.
At Areia we do exactly the same. With our own touch, yes, but with the same idea: the truffle is what matters and that ceremonial ritual of serving it tableside, so that even before you start eating, the aroma has already filled everything.
If you visit us, you cannot leave without trying the tajarin we make fresh daily with truffle, the risotto, our steak tartare or my favourite, the egg with fontina and truffle. This year we will have more dishes, but always with the same philosophy: let her be the star. Because at this time of year she is the jewel of the house and fits Areia like a glove: tableside ritual, captivating product and aromatic depth. Just what we always look for, the best product treated with great flavour and depth in every bite.
Carlos García Mayoralas
Season from October to December. First truffles arriving from late September depending on market. Daily availability. https://areia-marbella.com/en/reservations/
