The 10 Year Plan: The Great Truffle Hunt of 2016 (Part 1 of 4)

Shhhh, be very, very quiet. We're hunting truffles.

In November, it is the season of the winter white truffle in Italy. In this instance, we are referring to the mushroom, not the chocolate kind of truffle.

The season is short--just a few weeks. Plus, the truffles grow only in a few places, such as San Miniato, a hill town near Florence. The truffles grow under the ground attached to the roots of certain kinds of trees in certain kinds of soil. They develop quickly--in about a week--and last only a week once out of the ground. The weather is big a factor with mild weather leading to smaller and fewer truffles. The winter white truffle is prized for its sweet taste.

What does all this mean? It means white truffles fetch about $1,500/Lb. So, hunting truffles is lucrative and tasty.

We recently travelled to San Miniato for a truffle hunt, truffle lunch and truffle fair. It was all truffle all day long.

Here are some photos from our adventure.

Let the hunt begin!

We ventured to a large farm west of San Miniato. The farm covers about two square miles and grows grapes and olives, plus chickens and pigs. The farm has a lot of trees, the kinds that truffles happen to like.

Not far from the house is a round topped hill with different types of trees planted in concentric circles. In the photo below, you spot the house (upper right) and the hill (lower left). The hill is truffle central.

So, how do you hunt for truffles in Italy? With a specially trained truffle dog, in this case a dog named Choco. Our guide was Francesca, a seasoned truffle hunter, who handled Choco expertly. We met Choco and then ventured into the woods. (No truffle pigs in Italy. They were outlawed a few years back because the sows were so aggressive in digging for truffles that tree roots were being damaged and fewer truffles were produced. Apparently, Italians and the rest of the foody world must have their truffles.)

Francesca and Choco making a new friend

Walking toward truffle central

Before the hunt began, Francesca explained the basics of truffle hunting. Choco is extremely well trained, responding instantly to voice commands. Apparently, Choco speaks Italian. Choco was trained for two years before the first actual hunt.

Choco was sent off to look, or sniff, for truffles under the ground. It took very little time before the first find. Choco started digging but immediately stopped when Francesa commanded. Otherwise, Choco would keep digging and either break the truffle (bad news because a broken trouble has less value) or eat the truffle (very bad news).

Using a special long-handled tool, Francesa then dug in the spot that Choco marked. Jackpot! A nicely sized truffle was found a couple of inches under the ground. Well done, Choco! The hunt continued with a few more finds.