Thrilled by the success NFT creators have had with their digital arts, French truffle grower Bernard Planche has decided to use an NFT auction to sell one of the largest truffles ever unearthed.
The auction will be conducted on OpenSea, and the bidding ends today. The winner can pay for the truffle with either cryptocurrencies or regular cash. He/she will also get an NFT to prove its authenticity, plus a copy of the physical certificate when they take ownership of the giant truffle. The blurb on OpenSea reads:
The winner of the auction will be invited to enjoy a private day of truffle-hunting demonstrations (searching for truffles with dogs or pigs) in Saint-Cirq-Madelon, in the Périgord, Bernard Planche’s estate. The day will end with a meal on site with the Surprise du Chef!The black truffle (tuber melanosporum) is one of the most sought-after edible fungi in the world. With the average black truffle weighing in between 2 to 18 ounces, Planche’s truffle comes in at nearly triple the size of what is considered a typical large truffle. And while it’s not the world’s largest truffle (or even the largest black truffle) ever discovered, its big size puts it in an elite company.
While the auction of a giant truffle via NFT is new, edibles have been part of the NFT world for some time. Several startups are using blockchain to promote food provenance.
Among the best-known establishments to adopt this system is a Boston-based started called LegitFish, which has been working on blockchain traceability solutions since 2018. Ecogistix has also been developing product traceability solutions using blockchain for at least half a decade.
According to Planche, NFTs are a perfect way to demonstrate how new technology can be used to support and even strengthen long-standing cultural traditions.
His idea is not just to make money but to use the blockchain to prove the authenticity of his giant fungi to the consumer.