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2019 marked the completion of a project that began in 2015: de Truffle. A complete kit for the Alba White Truffle, created by Alessi in collaboration with renowned international designers. This time, it’s Pepita’s turn—designed by Mariela Schwarz Montiel and produced by Raynaud.
Presenting, slicing, preserving: more than a mantra, it’s the etiquette of the Alba White Truffle. In the journey initiated by the International Alba White Truffle Fair, the National Truffle Study Center, and Alessi—aimed at creating a dedicated set for the Tuber Magnatum Picco—we have now reached the third phase.
Preserving, but also transporting. Containing a precious treasure, lifting the lid that protects it to release its richness. This is the philosophy behind Pepita, a refined object designed to best reveal the fragrance, aroma, and freshness of the Alba White Truffle.
Maison Raynaud, The Art of Porcelain
“We chose to collaborate with the International Alba White Truffle Fair because we wanted to finally combine our Limoges porcelain with one of nature’s most extraordinary products. ‘Pepita’ plays with form and reveals the excellence of the Alba White Truffle, and above all, it marks a precise meeting point between traditions and territory—a collaborative pact we hope is just the first of many.”
Bertrand Raynaud
A subtle thread connects Alba to Maison Raynaud, the historic producer of fine tableware. A line that ideally links the capital of the Langhe and homeland of the truffle to the French town of Limoges, world-renowned for its ceramics. A point of contact rooted in the UNESCO Creative Cities network, of which both cities are members.
It seems almost destined that these two centers of excellence would eventually meet. Raynaud joins an exclusive circle established in 2015 to create a dedicated set for the Alba White Truffle—designer objects conceived to preserve, handle, and slice the precious Tuber Magnatum Pico.
Pepita by Raynaud was born within a broader project that, over the years, has seen major designers contribute to the reinvention of objects meant to enhance the prized underground fungus.
Mariela Schwarz Montiel: Design, Sustainability, and Territory
The designer behind Pepita is the creative Mariela Schwarz Montiel. Half South American and half German, Mariela hails from Paraguay. She studied in Berlin and worked for major fashion brands, including Gucci in Milan. Always attentive to environmental and sustainability issues, she created Pepita as an object that transcends its function, becoming a true work of art.
Pepita combines the geometric, faceted design of precious stones with the visual identity of the International Alba White Truffle Fair’s logo. A tribute to nature’s most extraordinary jewel: sculptural and refined in its lines, yet ergonomic and functional. Alongside Alba, the truffle slicer designed by Ben van Berkel, and Trace, the glove created by Patricia Urquiola, it completes the Alba White Truffle Set.
The creation by Raynaud and Mariela Schwarz Montiel consists of a base with a matte exterior and glossy interior finish, designed to hold truffles, and a satin-finished lid made of unglazed Limoges porcelain. White in color and available in two sizes (L for medium truffles and XL for larger ones), Pepita is ready to become the home of the Tuber Magnatum Pico on the most special occasions.
Pepita is designed to reveal the full aromatic range and fragrance of the Alba White Truffle. It is a tribute to the ancient tradition of truffle hunting, where humans venture into the darkness to bring the truffle to light. Beneath the lid rests the prized underground fungus—a true precious nugget. Lifting it means releasing its complex and mysterious nature and allowing oneself to be captivated by it. From darkness to light, to give visibility and space to the very best that a unique territory like ours has to offer.
