The Vera de Moncayo is once again positioning itself on the national gastronomy map with the IX Truffle Fair, which takes place from January 9 to 11 and officially marks the start of the truffle calendar for 2026. This event has become a staple for chefs, restaurateurs, distributors, and professionals linked to high gastronomy and local products.
The timing is not coincidental. The Tuber melanosporum is currently at its peak quality, and the fair allows access to fresh truffles directly from producers, as well as insights into trends, techniques, and culinary applications in a context characterized by exceptional volume but complicated pricing.
A Professional Showcase of the “Black Diamond”
With about thirty exhibitors and 100% of the space occupied, the fair has a clearly professional approach: direct sales of truffles, supply companies, nurseries, truffle-based products, and a comprehensive technical and gastronomic program.
For the restaurant sector, Veratruf is not just a marketplace but a point of contact with the product’s origin and with other key players in the supply chain. According to Truzarfa, represented by its president Jesús López, 2025 has been a year that is “historic and disastrous” at the same time: high quality and quantity but low prices due to international circumstances.
Live Gastronomy and Applied Training
The gastronomic program continues to be one of the main attractions for professionals. Chef Mónica A. Benítez will feature in three showcookings focused on preparations where truffle is the real star, not just a mere attraction. Dishes are designed to translate ideas directly onto the menu, from truffle mushroom brioche to risottos, cannelloni, and sweet truffle creations.
This is complemented by the traditional professional pairing with wines from Campo de Borja and oils from Sierra del Moncayo, a particularly interesting proposal for restaurant managers and purchasing officers.
Technique, Knowledge, and the Future of the Sector
Beyond cooking, the fair reinforces its technical profile with specialized talks on regenerative truffle cultivation, mechanization, and management of mature plantations, led by experts such as Marcos Morcillo, in addition to demonstrative workshops from CITA focusing on truffle aromas and microscopy.
All of this makes Veratruf more than just a local fair. It serves as a meeting point between the field and the kitchen, between producer and restaurateur, at a time when truffles once again demand knowledge, respect for the product, and professional criteria in their use.
For those who work with the “black diamond” or wish to do so with greater rigor, Vera de Moncayo offers this weekend an opportunity that is hard to find at any other time of the year.
