IN PICTURES – At 24, he won the competition for the largest truffle in Dordogne thanks to his find weighing almost 600g

Léo Uscain does not go unnoticed in the room Sorges truffle marketwith his tall height, broad build and checkered lumberjack jacket. But it’s good enormous truffle, as big as a cauliflower, which attracts everyone. Thanks to this magnificent mushroom of 574 gramsthe young truffle grower from Tocane-Saint-Apre won the competition for the biggest truffle organized on the occasion of Truffles madness festival Sunday January 26.

“It’s extraordinary to find this kind of truffle”

“There is a lot of pride because I am quite young for the world of truffle farming, smiled Leo. It’s extraordinary to find this kind of truffle under a tree that you planted, pruned, re-seeded yourself.”. All the curious want take a photo of the star truffletouch it, weigh it. Francis came on purpose from Châtellerault, in Vienne. He tries to guess the weight of the beast, without success.

“It’s a potato, laughs the retiree. She is magnificent. It’s really a beautiful truffle. It’s still exceptional, isn’t it?” The young Périgord replied: “Yes, especially under six-year-old trees”. Leo is from afar the youngest and most inexperienced truffle grower on the market. He started at 18: “I told my father that I wanted ten truffle trees as a birthday present. I planted them with him. And six years later, I am rewarded in the best possible way”.

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€574 per truffle as big as a cauliflower

A prize also obtained thanks to truffle dogs by Pascal Bonnefondhis great friend, truffle grower for 30 years, and who taught him everything: “It was I who perverted him, we can say that”laughs this resident of Tocane. “He worked well, he did what was necessary to succeed. There is no mystery, when you work, you are always rewarded”.

Unfortunately the big truffle did not find a buyer on the Sorges market. Perhaps because of its price: 1.000€ per kiloyou had to be able to pay €574 at once. And then large truffles are not the easiest to sell for individuals, of whom there are many on the Truffle Festival market. The young truffle grower therefore relies on professionals. He is in contact with a Parisian restaurant and a nursery.

Léo’s nose does not dethrone not the record for the biggest truffle competition. In January 2022, a resident of Mensignac won the competition with a 750 gram truffle.