Festival of Truffles, Knowledge, and Terroir

Richebourg, capital of truffles in Haute-Marne

Nestled about ten kilometers from Chaumont, near the A5 motorway exit at Semoutiers, the commune of Richebourg has become the capital of the black diamond in Haute-Marne. Every autumn, the Departmental Association for the Promotion of Truffles in Haute-Marne (ADT 52) organizes the Festival of Truffles, Knowledge, and Terroir, a festive and gourmet event celebrating the Burgundy truffle (Tuber uncinatum) harvested in the department's limestone soils.

A market for truffles and local products

The heart of the festival beats around the truffle market, where Haute-Marne truffle growers offer several kilograms of freshly harvested truffles for sale. Two varieties are mainly represented: the Burgundy truffle, the most abundant, and the Meuse truffle, rarer. Around this market, about forty exhibitors present their artisanal products and know-how:

• Truffled cheeses: raclette, brie, Langres AOP, goat cheese, and other specialties aged with truffles
• Local charcuterie and terrines
• Champagne, craft beers, and cassis liqueur
• Honey, jams, and apiary products
• Artisanal soap, basketry, and pottery
• Wood-fired bread from Courcelles-sur-Aujon

Truffle hunting demonstrations and conferences

Visitors can attend truffle hunting demonstrations, the ancestral art of finding truffles with specially trained truffle dogs. These sessions take place outdoors and allow visitors to understand the patient work of the truffle grower and the bond between the handler and their dog. Conferences on modern truffle cultivation are led by experts like Guillaume Ge from France Trufficulture, who share their knowledge on planting techniques, truffle field maintenance, and favorable conditions for mycelium development.

Tastings and culinary art

One of the festival's highlights is the truffle scrambled egg tasting, a traditional dish of scrambled eggs generously topped with fresh truffle shavings, served hot at lunchtime. Culinary demonstrations showcase different ways to incorporate truffles into everyday cooking. Visitors can also taste and purchase a wide variety of truffle products from exhibitors on-site.

The Confraternity of the Haute-Marne Truffle

Each edition is marked by the chapter of the Confraternity of the Haute-Marne Truffle, a colorful ceremony during which new members are inducted. This confraternity actively participates in promoting the local gastronomic heritage and contributes to the renown of Haute-Marne truffles. The GIEE “Richesses du Terroir” (Territory's Riches) is also a partner of the event, illustrating the collective dynamic of local stakeholders in valuing regional products.

A growing truffle region

Haute-Marne benefits from geological and climatic conditions particularly favorable to the cultivation of the Burgundy truffle. The limestone soils, oak and hazelnut forests, and the department's continental climate provide an ideal environment for the development of this exceptional mushroom. The harvest season runs from mid-September to mid-January, with a peak in maturity in November, making the Truffle Festival a prime time to discover the product at its aromatic peak.