Truffles

Sun 10/13/2013
Wake up call at 6:15, coffee 6:30, into the van at 6:45 to go meet the truffle hunter. Truffles are a big deal in this part of Italy. They are native to the area and are a source of big income to the finders. The white truffle season is only about 2 months long beginning in Oct and these are the most valuable truffles. Black truffles can be hunted pretty much year around and are a bit less precious. The sun was just coming up when we met Primiano and his dogs Ruby, Lapo and Miss.

Bad pic because the dogs don't want to pose. Ruby is the star, a poodle mix that is commonly used for truffle hunting, Lapo is a young hound mix, (brown and white) and Miss is a spaniel mix, also young. Lapo and Miss are still "in training." So we followed Primiano through the woods on dirt tracks for a while then we all got out and began our truffle search in the forest. The dogs LOVE doing this job! The forest is dense and hilly (and muddy) and we hadn't walked long before Ruby told us she had found something. Primiano began carefully excavating in the area Ruby had spotted and found our first white truffle of the day.

First white truffle of the day

It wasn't long before Ruby found another one. Then after some trekking, Ruby again found something....another white truffle. We were leaving that spot when Lapo began frantically digging in almost the exact same location so Primiano started excavating the area and one after another truffles became apparent, a total of 8 all in the same spot. The largest one was 2-3 cm diameter.

Everyone, including Primiano and the dogs, were SOOO excited. In the time span of about an hour "we" had found about 1500 Euros worth of truffles....an EXTREMELY good day!

Leonardo with the largest white truffle

We trekked a bit bit more including going over a stream, up and down hills without more white truffles but as we were going back toward our starting point the dogs went through some thick underbrush and Miss announced she had a find and Primiano went through the brush to see that the dogs had found 4 nice sized black truffles. And Primiano thought that
Miss had eaten one more.

Black truffles

Primiano

Primiano gave us a white and a black truffle to take back to the hotel to be cooked with eggs for our late breakfast. Delizioso!!

This outing was incredibly fun. The idea of TRUFFLE HUNTING had never occurred to us. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the landscape couldn't have been more beautiful and the walking through the woods was just good clean fun!! 

Primiano carefully digging while everyone watches

Ruby and Miss

Ruby has found a truffle! Lapo on right