The highly prized white truffle, is considered to be the truffle par excellence because of its noteworthy commercial importance. It is also known as the Truffle of Alba or of Piedmont because it is particularly abundant in this region but it is also found, to a much lesser extent, in some areas of Central Italy and in the South of France. It is of globular shaper with many depressions on the rind that make it irregular. The outer surface is smooth and slightly velvety. The colour varies from pale ochre and dark cream to greenish. The flesh or gleba is unmistakable and is white or greyish yellow with thin white veins. Its pleasantly fragrant aroma, different from the garlicky flavour of the other truffles, makes it unique. It lives in symbiosis with oaks, limes, poplars and willows and is seldom found together with other truffles. To grow and develop, the white truffle needs particular types of soil and equally particular climatic conditions. The soil must be soft and humid for most of the year, it must be rich in calcium and well ventilated. Obviously not all soils are able to guarantee these characteristics and it is these environmental factors that make the white truffle a rare and highly-prized fruit of the earth.