Sibillini Mountain National Park Truffle Hunters

Many truffle hunters are based in and around Central and Northern Italy and come from families who have been involved in Truffle hunting for generations. Two or even three generations of hunters often occupy the same large family home, handing down the closely guarded secrets of their trade and inculcating the next generation into the mysteries of the art.

Aside from the training and care of the dogs and an in depth knowledge of Truffles, the most important of these secrets is the actual location of their ‘hunting grounds’ which they will never divulge to anyone outside the family.

Truffles can be hunted using a variety of dogs. The most famous are the pure bred Lagotto Romagnala. Dogs are introduced to Truffles and commence their training from a very early age, with puppies being taught to ‘fetch’ summer Truffles almost as soon as they can walk. The males start active truffle hunting from around 3 years, whereas the females start earlier at around 18 months.

Different soil types determine how deep Truffles are found. In Umbria and Le Marche Black Winter Truffles are generally found just under the surface of the ground, at up to a maximum of 10 centimetres, whereas White Truffles are found much deeper, sometimes at up to 60 centimetres below ground.

Each family is fiercely proud of their own Truffles, defending them even to the point of insisting that their side of the valley, mountain or particular area of forest is superior to all others not only in Italy but the entire world!!

Naturally all other discerning buyers insist on their Truffles only. Much mystique accompanies this loyalty with families insisting on truffle hunting only during particular phases of the moon (Truffles are bigger and more flavoursome after the new moon according to some), or at particular times of night. Read the rest of this entry »

Lorrain Bodger, twentieth century American writer called truffles as the royalty of homemade candy.

Truffles are a delicate and rare type of edible mushroom, which are mostly grown in Croatia, France, Italy and Slovenia. They are also collected in Washington and Oregon states in US. Forming a symbiotic relationship with the environment, truffles grow underground among the roots of chestnut, elm, oak, pine and willows trees. The high price for truffles is due to the inability for humankind to grow them commercially or cost-effectively.

When in season, whole black winter truffles made from fresh black Italian truffles are chef’s favorites. It gives an excellent aroma to dishes made of poultry, meat and in pasta. The season for fresh winter truffles runs from Thanksgiving to March. Because of its limited availability, this perishable item costs around USD 125 per Oz.

A buttery and creamy sauce can be made by fusing Italian truffles with the finest cheese from the Parmesan region. Cannelini Beans with White Summer Truffles is another delicacy made with five percent of white Italian truffle juice, white beans and water.
A more cost efficient way to give the dishes that special flavor that only truffle can offer is to use truffle juice by combining it with main courses and appetizers. By adding truffle juice the dishes become brilliant in seconds.

Fresh truffles are a highly seasonal and rare product, expensive and hard to acquire. Fortunately, the intensity and pungency of the earthy truffle paste makes a great match to any number of bases such as butters, pastes and creams, which enables the chefs to add to their cuisine the distinct taste of truffles at a more economical cost price. Truffle paste on a peanut oil base makes a good start to creams and sauces. Find more info at [http://www.trufflecity.info]

Perigord black truffles of France are considered as the greatest truffles of the world. Rich butter made from French white truffle can fuse the intense and complex flavors of the French truffles perfectly. This butter can be added to any variety of dishes to transform it from an average food to an extraordinary one. Being very intense, only little of this butter is needed to add to other dishes. It can replace the use of regular butter too. To get best results, truffle butter should be added at the end of the cooking process. Read the rest of this entry »