Michael Edwards pulls on his wellies to go truffle hunting in Emilia Romagna
So, you wannabe a truffle hunter in Emilia Romagna one of Italy’s most idyllic landscapes? Foraging for black gold in the peaceful foothills of the Apennine mountains? Far from the bustle of Milan, far from the hustle of Bologna: even if the red city is frequently acclaimed the gastronomic capital of the world. Attention focuses on the truffles on the menus around here. Perhaps adorning a lasagne or egg in the Trattoria Da Amerigo in Savigno.
First get a dog. Ideally a Lagotta Romagnolo. Forget Nicholas Cage’s film, Pig, on the emotional bond between man and pig. Truffle-hunting with a pig is illegal in Italy. Possessed by truffle-greed, pigs are aggressive, bite and, once they get a sniff of truffles, pull humans along like water-skiers. Moreover, they trample truffle spore into the ground reducing truffle growth.
When Luigi Dattioli, now Manager of the Appennino Food Group, who specialise in truffles and truffle products, was 18 his father offered to buy him a second-hand car. Instead, Luigi asked for a truffle-hunting dog, which, in Italy’s inflationary days, before the Euro, cost him 6.5 million lire. “How are you gonna pick-up girls with a dog instead of a car?” His bewildered friends challenged.
However you do the maths, initially the investment returns Luigi’s on first dog were zilch. No truffles in the first year. Luigi learnt the hard way that truffle-hunting is about the getting of wisdom, the damp-wellied acquisition of knowledge. Three decades on Luigi advises, “Get a female dog. They are less easily distracted, they concentrate better.”
Rewards for top-quality truffles, selling for around €5,000 per kilo are tempting. Gourmets pay top dollar for flavours that are deeply earthy, sometimes musky, hinting at umami and yet surprisingly floral given their subterranean existence. No doubt their scarcity contributes to both their allure and value. The complexities of the truffle market are worthy of PhD study. “Few people make a living from truffle-hunting,” Luigi warns, “for most it is just a part-time hobby.”
As we stroll gently stroll up a winding path on a beautifully crisp November morning, I wonder if there’s ever been an Italian One man and his dog show. There is an intense relationship between Andrea, our camouflage-jacketed hunter, with half-a-century of experience, pockets filled with the finest mortadella treats, and his dog. “You can take my wife, but not my dog,” quips Andrea.
For all its bucolic splendour, the apparent fresh air simplicity of truffle-hunting has its bureaucracy. To get an annual licence you have to pass an exam and pay an annual fee of €100. Then stick to the rules. Truffle-hunting is restricted to specific hours.
Truffle pirates are a problem. They operate under the cover of darkness. Or in Emilia Romagna’s mists, when, as the local paradoxical and poetic phrase vedo non vedo says, you can see but not see.
Knowing your truffle seasons: black summer, black autumn, black winter and white is only part of the truffle syllabus. Knowing that the root systems of poplar, oak, hazelnut and hornbeam, in that order, are most likely to host truffles is valuable knowledge.
Respect for the environment is key. Filling in the hole, after a truffle has been taken, is vital. A well-trained dog will use its hind legs to kick back the soil.
Every year, Savigno hosts a truffle festival for four consecutive weekends in late October and early November. There’s truffle talk of the prospects for the coming season. Has there been enough rain for good growth? Or too much rain?
Some restaurants put on truffle festival menus. Head for the Trattoria da Amerigo, in Savigno, a trattoria, whose simple rustic decor has changed little since it opened in 1934, for a taste of truffles and local cuisine. The Trattoria also has a five room inn, serving a gourmet breakfast in the restaurant, for those who want to base themselves at the heart of truffle territory.
Even though Trattoria da Amerigo has held a Michelin star for 28 years this is not high-falutin, fancy dining: feel free to wipe your bowl of tortellini in broth clean with a scarpetta of bread, that’s a spoon of bread. One dish, Amerigo Egg 2024 Colli Bolognessi White Truffle epitomises the simple rustic cuisine perfectly. On a bed of mashed potato, a Parmesan pastry basket houses a slow baked egg, generously showered with shaved white truffle.
The people of Savigna are aware that they live in a delicate, finely balanced environment. Visitors are warmly welcomed but the truffle community is keen to keep tourism to a controllable trickle.
Tell Me More About Truffle Hunting In Emilia Romagna
Visit Emilia Romagna Tourism to learn more about the region.
Visit Appennino Food Group to see the full range of truffles and products.
Trattoria de Amerigo has details of menus in the trattoria and of accommodation in the five-room inn. Prices for a double room, with breakfast, begin from 90 Euros.
