The morning and late-night fog hangs thick and low over Alba’s softly rolling hills, desaturating the browning lands like a retro Instagram filter. From late September through January, this picturesque town in Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region plays host to gastrotourists from around the world who flock to the UNESCO World Heritage site for the fleeting aroma—and flavor—of underground magic: that earthy, garlicky, nearly gasoline-y perfume of tartufi bianchi, or white truffles.

Whether it’s shaved atop tajarin, Alba’s ubiquitous egg pasta we know as tagliolini, or crowning a shallow bowl of cheese- or meat-filled agnolotti—another native pasta—during this time of year, you’d be hard-pressed to find a respectable local ristorante not serving the elusive and pricey tuber.