The Annual Urbani Truffles Academy Grant Program

The inaugural ‘Urbani Truffles Academy Grant Program’ ( www.urbanigrant.com) was launched in 2007 to promote truffles and to inspire the use of truffles by America’s culinary professionals by illustrating all aspects of fresh truffles and preserved truffle products.  

The grand prize is a one-week stay at Urbani’s Accademia del Tartufo in Umbria, Italy.   The trip will include a tour of the Umbria region and the Urbani facilities, a day of truffle hunting that will allow a rare glimpse into the secretive world of the truffle hunter, a lesson in the truffle supply process and a lesson in cooking with truffles led by Accademia chefs.  

Three first-prize winners in the grant competition will receive $1,500 worth of Urbani preserved truffle products and an Urbani Truffle book valued at $30.  

Ten second prize winners will receive $500 worth of Urbani preserved truffle products and a cookbook of top Urbani recipes.

All qualified entries will receive an Urbani Tartufi cookbook and all original recipes will be archived on the Urbani Grant Program website as well as on Urbani Tartufi’s general website.

In order to qualify for the grant, culinary professionals must submit one recipe ─ which will be evaluated by truffle experts from the Accademia del Tartufo who are experienced in the art of cooking with truffles ─ and answer a brief questionnaire.   Entry forms are available on the www.urbanigrant.com.   The deadline for submission is December 15, 2007.