Truffle NFTs: Edible Non-Fungible Tokens are no longer new – everything nowadays can be tokenized. Even rare and sought-after fungi.
Excited by the success and money that creators of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have received for their digital arts, Bernard Planche, a French truffle grower, didn’t hesitate to run into the backyard to dig up one of its largest truffles. He already had a plan for the fate of the truffle: to make it an NFT.
The sale takes place on OpenSea and the winner will have two options to pay for the truffle – in cryptocurrencies or in regular cash. The buyer will take ownership of the giant truffle, but that’s not all. They will also get an NFT to prove its authenticity, plus a copy of the physical certificate.
If you want a giant truffle in your life, you better hurry because the auction ends today.
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 Périgord, domain of Bernard Planche. The day will end with a meal on site with the Chef’s Surprise!”
Truffle NFTs
The truffle is the most appreciated edible fungus in the world. It weighs, on average, between 2 and 18 ounces. But Planche’s truffle is three times that size. It is not the largest truffle in the world, but its characteristics make it super rare.
Bernard’s idea is not just to make money, but to prove to the consumer that his giant mushrooms are legit. And that is exactly what the blockchain is for.
He explained that he wanted to demonstrate how new technologies can be used to support and even strengthen long-standing cultural traditions.
Tokenization has reached the food market
Auctioning a truffle as an NFT is new, but edibles have been a part of the NFT world for a while. The aim of the producers is not only to earn money, but to prove the authenticity of their products. Therefore, several startups are using blockchain to promote their gastronomic exercises. Among the best-known establishments is Boston LegitFish, which has been using the technology to trace its products since 2018. Ecogistix has also been doing so for at least half a decade.
A recent Burger King campaign had QR codes tethered to six million meal boxes. Scanning the codes unlocked a digital collectible. If you collected all of the NFTs, there would be a bonus, like having a phone call with a celebrity that was endorsing the campaign. Celebs on the roster included media personality LILHUDDY, Brazilian singer Anitta, and American rapper Nelly.
Many individual restaurants are jumping on the NFT bandwagon. Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of restaurant reservation service Resy, said that by 2023 he will open the world’s first NFT restaurant, the Flyfish Club.
The Flyfish Club claims to be the world’s first members-only private dining club. Membership is purchased on the blockchain as an NFT. The token-holder gets access to the restaurant and can go to different culinary, cultural, and social experiences.
