Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Culinary Arts Authority launched on Thursday the first Desert Truffle Festival in Al Kindi Square at Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.

The festival comes in cooperation with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City to revive the historical value and association of truffles with Saudi cuisine, enhance the diversity of the annual crop and improve its quality.

The festival, which continues until March 26, is an incubator for faucet sellers, chefs and local productive families, in a way that enhances this social culture and food habit. The event maintains continuity and contributes to supporting local vendors by raising their financial returns.

The visitors' journey begins with taking souvenir photos in the photography pavilion located in the first corner of the festival, after which they will move on to tasting sessions for different stews of brisket under preparation and their ingredients.

Then, they will move to live cooking corners that compete in the ways of preparing and presenting this popular meal. The festival also includes an integrated exhibition about the locations of the truffles, their benefits and ways of using them.

The festival has a children's corner that presents the experience of searching for the truffle kernels, to familiarize children with the correct ways to harvest truffles and guide them in a way that combines fun and education.

The festival also dedicated a special corner to Saudi coffee in activation of the programs of the "Year of Saudi Coffee 2022” initiative.

As part of the activities of the first truffle festival, an introductory workshop was held by the popular figure Youssef Al-Mutlaq.