Truffle Hunting Tours
Experience the Magic of Truffle Hunting in Italy’s Enchanted Forests
Truffle - White and Black Gold of Gastronomy
Truffles are "hypogean" fungi, that is, they develop underground, in symbiosis with some particular species of plants, in a mutual exchange relationship between them and the roots of the latter. That between plant and truffle is a true symbiosis, in which the truffle absorbs nutrients from the plant, and the latter obtains from it the mineral salts essential for its growth.
Truffles, however, are not found in all types of soil, and they do not grow in symbiosis with all plants: each type of truffle prefers a certain type of plant and a certain type of soil. If we add to this the fact that these mushrooms are born and develop underground, more or less deep, finding out where they are found, especially if you are not an expert in the subject, becomes quite difficult.
Quarrymen in fact, to become such, need a lot of experience and must enlist the help of man's best friend, the dog, which with its highly developed sense of smell, once well-trained, becomes indispensable for pinpointing where truffles are found with precision.
Choose Your unique experience with a Truffle Hunter
The world's most prestigious Truffle regions
Piedmont
Piedmont has always been famous as a land of truffles prized almost everywhere, and one of the most famous fairs in the world, the Alba fair, is held here.
Among Piedmontese truffles, in addition to the very famous White Truffle of Alba, we find more or less all species: Tartufo Nero Pregiato, Scorzone, Uncinato, Moscato and Brumale.
Piedmont truffles are mainly harvested in the Monferrato, Langhe, Roero and Southern Hills.
Truffle harvesting in Piedmont took place in ancient times, reaching its highlight in the 1700s when it became a fashion among the nobility.
The most famous truffle in Piedmont is the Prized White Truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico). It is the truffle par excellence, the cross and delight of all connoisseurs, which makes Piedmont the most prestigious truffle destination.
Umbria
If you are a truffle lover, you surely know that truffle & Umbria are an inseparable pair. This region is an immense truffle ground: its wooded hills are an ideal habitat for many species of high-quality truffles.
There are about a dozen varieties of truffles harvested in Umbria, here are the most prestigious types:
Nero pregiato (November to March)
White truffle (October to December)
Scorzone (summer and winter)
Bianchetto (January to April)
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is a land of truffles. Nine of the eleven edible varieties of truffles grow wild in different areas of our hills and mountains, and it is possible to collect them practically every season of the year. Here are the most common types:
Bianco pregiato (fall and winter)
Nero pregiato (winter)
Scorzone (summer)
Marzolino (February to March)
Périgord
Known as the land of 1001 castles, the Dordogne-Périgord owns, arguably, some of France’s best culinary products, such as foie gras, chestnuts, AOC label walnuts, Périgord strawberries, the wines of Monbazillac and Bergerac and the black Périgord winter truffle.
The prized black Périgord truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) is so-called because of its dark skin and its flesh, which ranges in colour from very dark red to brown.
The black Périgord truffle is harvested and sold from winter to spring, between 15 November and 15 March to be precise. When it reaches maturity, the prized black Périgord truffle is at its most aromatic, with compact flesh characterized by marbled narrow white veins.
It grows beneath different types of trees, the most common being the downy oak, the hazel and the hornbeam. It is mostly to be found on the plains or in airy hillside woods, where the trees are spaced well apart from one another. This is because the black Périgord truffle needs light and good air circulation.
Its flavor is not as strong as that of the white truffle, with aromatic notes that tend towards sweetness, so that it is known by experts as the sweet black truffle. It is best suited to short cooking times.
Testimonial from an Expert
Are You ready for your first Truffle Hunt?
Italy is considered the truffle hunters' paradise, as truffles can be found almost everywhere along the Apennines' ridge, all the way to Calabria. Therefore, any region in Italy is a good start for your quest.
However, good truffle hunters have a long experience, which is often handed down from father to son or daughter. There are various factors to take into account, and also many secrets which they will never reveal.
Some factors to consider for your truffle hunt:
Symbiosis of truffles and other plants
Oak
Hazel
White and black hornbeam
Chestnut tree
Pine
Poplar
Soils truffles prefer
Alkaline ph
Very calcareous
Well aerated
Without stagnation
Types of truffle grounds
Natural: those in which truffles develop spontaneously.
Controlled: natural, but improved with special cultivation practices, including the planting of some plants that have already been "mycorrhized."
Cultivated: those where mycorrhized plants are planted "from scratch."
The problem with truffle farms is that they are usually privately owned, jealously handed down from generation to generation, and so it is impossible to access them.
If you want to go in search of black truffles, remember that these, due to the substances emanating from their spores change the PH of the soil where they are found, preventing the growth of other plants: if near a plant that lives in symbiosis with these truffles you notice a rather barren and thinned area, it is possible that there is a black truffle under there.
Good Luck!
Save the Truffle
If you want to learn more about our trifulau Carlo and his project to save the truffle and the precious Langhe environment, have a look at his website Save the Truffle
And join us on a truffle tour with him in Piedmont to learn more about the lesser known side of truffle hunting.
