Easy come, easy go for monster truffle

LONDON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- An upscale London restaurant has learned the hard way that monster truffles can't be displayed too long without rotting, regardless of how much they cost.

A syndicate that owns the Italian restaurant Zafferano paid $54,000 for a 1.9-pound Italian truffle in a satellite auction for the Children in Crisis charity last month.

The rotund delicacy was displayed in a glass case during business hours and locked in a safe overnight.

When the head chef returned from holiday, he realized the delicacy had long since passed its "best before date" and took it home to his garden and buried it.

"A truffle is like a fruit and can go off very easily," said restaurant manager Enzo Cassini, adding it had at least been a good promotional tool. "People came from as far as Paris to look at it."

Apart from that, he said there's always next year's auction.

"We made so many children happy and we are going to buy an even bigger one next year -- people are already searching for it," he said..