The Great Truffle Hunt!

Marco and I were scheduled to attend a truffle hunt outside of Asti last Sunday. Due to an unfortunate event with a crane the day prior, only one of us was able to attend. My gracious and loving husband volunteered to stay home so that I could attend. Remembering to grab my boots from the apartment the day prior, I woke early on Sunday to meet the rest of the group so we could set off by bus.

When we arrived at La Casa del Trifulau, we were met by Giorgio, Natale, and their truffle-hunting English Pointer. After a short introduction into the family's history with truffles and the basics of the hunt, we set out into the woods. We followed the dog as she found red truffles (indicated with one paw scratching at the ground) and white truffles (both paws, furiously digging). Prior to this trip, I'd never heard of red truffles but after sniffing at one, it was clear why. They smell gross and add nothing in terms of taste. The dogs can't help finding them but realize that they're not worth the effort of digging.


Black truffle season is a little late in the year so we were lucky to see several of the more expensive white truffles dug up. When the dog found the truffle, she'd dig like crazy until her handler rushes up. When the handler arrived, he quickly took charge to prevent the truffle from being broken during the dig. While I wondered at first about how truffles got "discovered" (who would think of eating this dirt crusted fungus they found buried underground?) it became clear at first sniff. Despite the dirt, a fresh truffle smells like garlic and earthy yumminess.


After the hike, we returned to the casa for a tasting of local white truffles, salami, and wine. The delicious family-produced olive oil rounded out the tasting along with a soft local cheese with white truffle shaved on top.


Giorgio has written a book on truffles that was published in both Italian and English. In it, he includes some family history and poems on the great hunt. Maybe it was all the vino rosso and delicious food but I couldn't resist taking home a book as a souvenir since the white truffles were a bit out of my price range!