Fête de la Truffe de Lalbenque

Lalbenque, undisputed capital of black truffle

Nestled in the heart of the Causses du Quercy in the Lot department, the commune of Lalbenque is recognized as the capital of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). Its famous truffle market, institutionalized in 1962 after the creation of the Truffle Growers' Syndicate in 1961, is the most important in southwestern France. Every Tuesday from December to March, the Rue du Marché aux Truffes comes alive according to a codified ceremony that has forged the village's reputation far beyond the borders of the Lot.

The Truffle Festival: three days of gastronomic celebration

Organized every year on the last weekend of January, the Fête de la Truffe de Lalbenque is the highlight of the truffle season. For three days, the village transforms into a temple of truffle gastronomy, offering a rich and varied program accessible to all audiences. From gastronomic meals prepared by renowned chefs to controlled retail truffle markets, including truffle hunting demonstrations with truffle dogs, each moment is an invitation to discover the truffle in all its forms.

A program rich in flavors and discoveries

The festival opens on Friday with the official welcome of the season's godparents and a walking dinner in the restaurants of Rue du Marché aux Truffes, combining truffles and fine wines. Saturday features culinary demonstrations, amphitheater truffle hunting workshops, a retail truffle market, and a discovery meal in the Salle des fêtes. Sunday is marked by the traditional truffle growers' mass at the Saint-Quirin church, followed by the blessing of the truffle dogs, and then by exceptional gastronomic meals prepared by starred chefs.

Living heritage recognized nationally

The Lalbenque truffle market obtained the prestigious Remarkable Site of Taste label in 1994, a distinction that testifies to the excellence of this gastronomic heritage. In 2021, truffle cultivation in Lalbenque was classified as intangible cultural heritage of France, a first step towards UNESCO recognition. The Remarkable Site of Taste marquee, set up on Place du Sol, hosts producers from all over France during the festival and offers on-site catering with the famous truffle scrambled eggs.

Collective organization serving the terroir

The Truffle Festival is driven by the Lalbenque Truffle Steering Committee, chaired by the municipality of Lalbenque in partnership with the Cahors - Vallée du Lot Tourist Office, the association of truffle growers of the Lalbenque canton and Causses du Quercy, the Remarkable Site of Taste, and the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park. This unifying event mobilizes all stakeholders in the Lot truffle sector and contributes to Lalbenque's reputation as an exceptional gastronomic destination.