The truffle hunters

Few gourmet indulgences are as sought-after as the truffle, particularly the precious tartufo biancho. Tina Nielsen sniffs out some of the facts—and unearths a few myths—about this king of all fungi and the annual festival in north-west Italy where thousands of devoted followers gather to pay homage

For foodies, this time of year brings some serious treats, and none come bigger than the white Alba truffle. Trading at several thousand pounds a kilo, it is the second most expensive food after caviar—and in some cases is more expensive—mainly because it cannot be cultivated and grows only underground in the wild. Every autumn fans flock to the Italian region of Piedmont (or Piemonte, in Italian), where the annual White Truffle Festival in Alba last year celebrated its 75th anniversary.

“The Alba truffle, also known as the Magnatum, is very rare and when something is rare it can become an object of worship,” explains Antonio Carluccio, restaurateur and mushroom expert. At his Neal Street Restaurant in London a plate of spaghetti with white truffle shavings costs a cool £40 and, last year, Gordon Ramsay’s latest venture, Maze, had a £100 white truffle pizza on the menu. At a Christie’s charity auction in July, a 1.2kg tartufo bianchi was snapped up for a record-breaking, pricier-than-gold £63,000. “It has always been very sought-after in Piemonte, but in the last 10 years or so, demand has just exploded worldwide,” says Rudi Venerandi, proprietor of Alba Restaurant in London, which serves food based on Piemontese traditions.

But it is not just the price that distinguishes the so-called “white diamond” of the dinner table. “The Magnatum has an overpowering taste and smell, which can shock you the first time you taste it. It’s a peculiar blend of flavours including garlic and pepper, and is almost cheesy,” says Paul Thomas, managing director of the truffle-farming company Mycorrhizal Systems. Venerandi, on the other hand, believes it is more about the smell: “If you try and analyse the flavour it is very fleeting, but the smell is very pervasive,” he says. “What you taste is actually the smell inside your mouth.” Opinion on the smell is divided. Some say it carries odours of meat and mushroom while others think it is reminiscent of liquorice or cheese. In fact, the only thing all agree on is that it is a most particular smell.

The Magnatum grows underground and you really need to know where to look. The skilled hunters—or trifolau—also known as “angeli dei boschi” (“angels of the woods”), are intensely protective of their patch and can go to extreme lengths to outwit poachers. Some choose to hunt at night, while others may leave their car some distance from their patch and complete the journey by bicycle. Rino Ambrosio, a Tuscan hunter, says he puts the security of his plot above everything else: “My hunting places are so secret that sometimes I manage to keep them secret even from myself.”

So prized an object is the truffle that it has always been shrouded in mystery and secrecy. It has also been the cause of some sinister occurrences involving the truffle-hunters and their hunting dogs—both have been kidnapped, poisoned or even held to ransom. Traditionally the hunters relied on pigs to sniff out the hidden treasure, but today they prefer dogs. Pigs often eat or destroy the truffles rather than bring them back to their owners once they have found them. “Pigs are too voracious,” says Carluccio. “It is much easier to get a truffle out of a dog’s mouth than to get it out of a pig’s mouth.” The dogs are almost as valued as the truffles themselves and their training is a process that is not taken lightly. In Alba, at the University of Truffle Hunting Dogs, they claim to be able to get a competent canine up to scratch on the basics in just a few weeks, but it takes several years to educate the perfect truffle hound.

In its time, the truffle has been considered both an aphrodisiac and a poison, but it was finally crowned king of Italian cuisine in the 1930s when Piemontese chef, hotelier and truffle-hunter extraordinaire Giacomo Morra cleverly linked the white truffle with the Alba brand. He also introduced the truffle festival and began the tradition of sending the truffle of the year to a VIP. The first was given to Umberto di Savoia, Prince of Piedmont; celebrities to have received it since include Marilyn Monroe and Winston Churchill. The (as yet unbeaten) record was set when president Truman was sent a truffle weighing in at an incredible 2.52kg. Rumour has it that his office sent the following note back to Piedmont: “Thank you for the lovely potato. Unfortunately it had gone off when it arrived, so we had to throw it away.”

Morra used his intuition at a time when Alba was venturing into the tourist market in post-war Italy, and sending truffles to well known people worldwide did the international image of the exclusive fungus no harm at all. The town became a must-visit destination for truffle-loving tourists and celebrities alike.

While the main hub of the truffle festival is Alba, visitors all over Piedmont can take part in the celebrations. Some even prefer other pretty, less-crowded places such as nearby Moncalvo or San Miniato in Tuscany. The main truffle fair, which this year kicks off on 30 September, transforms the whole town into a showcase for the delicacy, with market stalls loaded with truffles on every street and square. It also gives visitors the opportunity to sample the white truffle in a number of top restaurants, safe in the knowledge that they are tasting the real thing. “If you eat in a restaurant outside Italy, it is very rare to get quality fresh truffles, unless you go to a respected establishment,” says Thomas. “Some people use jarred or frozen truffles, which aren’t really any good.” Markets in Piedmont take place throughout the season until 6 January when, by law, hunting of the Magnatum ceases.

Ambrosio, the hunter, has made a living from truffles for more than 20 years. He was inspired by a neighbour who took him hunting and taught him all the secrets when he was young. “It is difficult to make people understand how many sacrifices truffle-hunters have to make,” he says. “I rise early to make sure competitors don’t see me, in winter we suffer from the cold and in the summer we need to go hunting in the night to prevent the dogs getting overheated.” The largest truffle he has found weighed 935g, but he discovered it early in his career and did not make much money from it.

He says that a large proportion of the truffles on sale at the Alba Truffle Festival are, in fact, from Tuscany and that Alba, although it is a big supplier, is the focus of the season because the marketing revolves around it. “Alba is only one small town in Piemonte and it alone can not satisfy the worldwide demand for truffle,” he points out.

There are some basic tips when it comes to handling truffles. Not only are they very expensive but they don’t last very long. “Truffles don’t dry or freeze very well,” says Carluccio. “You really do have to use them while they are fresh.” He also dispels the myth that they last longer if they are stored in rice. “The rice is only for the transport of the truffles because they are very fragile and if you drop them they will shatter into a thousand pieces,” he says. The white truffle is used very simply, and sparingly, grated raw onto plain dishes of pasta, rice or fried eggs.
Although it is impossible to take part in an authentic truffle hunt—“Nobody will take you to the plot where they get their truffles from: it is a secret that is guarded intensely,” says Carluccio—you can get a little closer to the world of the trifolau by joining a simulated version. Combined with a session explaining the tricks of the trade and a chance to sample the truffles, this should make for a unique experience. Just remember that, should you ask to be shown where to hunt for truffles yourself, you will be told exactly where to go—and it won’t help.

Cream of the crop

Magnatum
The prized white variety also known as the Alba truffle.

Appearance: White to off-white throughout; size varies wildly.
Flavour: Highly pungent but hard to pin down (see main article).
Habitat: Found only in the wild in Italy and some parts of Croatia. Grows in shaded, cool and damp areas such as valleys, in symbiosis with trees such as poplars.
Season: September to December. To allow the truffles to reproduce, it is against the law to hunt for the Magnatum after 6 January.
Treatment: Use quickly in plain dishes such as pasta and risotto—the flavour deteriorates rapidly. Lasts up to five days if freshly dug up, less if bought at a market (it will still have flavour beyond this time but it won’t be at its best).
Price: Up to £5,000/kg

Borchii
A smaller, milder and  cheaper white truffle that can be cultivated.

Appearance: Smaller and darker than the Magnatum. On the inside it should be light brown with white veins—you’ll know quickly if you have been fooled.
Flavour: Similar to that of the Magnatum but less intense.
Habitat: Found in most of Europe but most common under pines in Italy. Also grows with larch and beech trees.
Season: December to around March.
Treatment: Use sparingly as you would the Magnatum. Has
the same shelf life.
Price: Around £260/kg

Black truffle
Comes mainly in two forms: winter (often called the Perigord) and summer (the Burgundy).

Appearance: Usually the size of a golf ball, with a dark warty skin.
Flavour: Extremely mushroomy and earthy
Habitat: Grows in France, Spain, Italy and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia and Slovenia. The black summer truffle can, in addition, be found in other countries, including the UK and Sweden. Adapted to withstand hot summers and dry conditions. Look for hazelnut trees with distinctive “burnt” patches at their base.
Season: Winter/Perigord: late November to March, with a peak in January. Summer/Burgundy: May until early winter.
Treatment: Works well with plain dishes like pasta and rice, but also delicious with eggs and in sauces. Use within three to
five days.
Price: About £260/kg summer, £1,000/kg winter