Earth’s finest: Truffle hunting in Italy

Earth’s finest: Truffle hunting in Italy

I was always told how special truffles are. Working in kitchens as a cook seeing only the Chef touch the truffles, only the chef had the key to the special box where they were kept, always saw truffles as something incredibly hard to get. There was always a mystery to them.

When working at Eleven Madison Park, I actually saw a truffle dealer come in the restaurant. A beautiful woman with a large and fancy bag was welcomed by the Chef de cuisine.

She then took her scale out while the chef took his scale out too. Then the truffles came out. I have never seen such huge black truffles before. As she took them out and started fulfilling the order, the perfume took over the kitchen. I was shocked while looking at the truffles me and all the cooks stared at her as well. We got yelled at by the sous chef to keep working.

I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that there was an actual dealer for truffles.

Fast forward to May 2023 when I’m going to join my mother on her Sicily tour, we had our day arranged to go truffle hunting with Mario. A professional truffle hunter who is a Professor in Mycology. We left our costal hotel in Menfi to head to the mountains of the neighboring village, passing the town of Sambuca di Sicilia and all the way to the top of the mountains.

Mario showing us how to spot wild herbs

The place happens to be a protected park that sits between the Palermo and Agrigento county line. It is a few degrees colder and their mountains are lined with oaks and pines. We get out the van and we’re greeted by Mario, he has two lovely dogs next to him Rino and Sonia—there are very cute. Later I learned the breed is called Lagotto Romagnolo and their nose is like none other.

We start walking in this beautiful forrest where we began observing Mario work with the dogs telling them to go forward, calling them by their names. All of the sudden Rino starts digging. Mario keeps saying his name. Rino finds the first truffle and Mario rewards his nose with a special treat. He then takes his little pick and shovel and digs around it. We are all gathered around him and see how he takes the first truffle out the ground. I couldn’t believe it, nor everyone else, I was in amazed and very very happy. Mario had a glass jar with him where he places the truffles to be safe after being unearthed.

Sonia and Rino awaiting Mario’s instructions

We continue continue walking and Sonia starts digging. We then run towards her and there it is another truffle! We all smiled. “This will be our lunch” I tell everyone.

Mario was surprised to find so many. I couldn’t believe these little dogs were finding these very expensive mushrooms that I once glorified and didn’t have the opportunity to see them fresh out the ground. I was marvelled at the instinct from the dogs to find these truffles and the hard work to train these dogs since they are puppies.

Myself, Mario and my mother with Sonia

This spring we returned to the mountain and the doggies found a total of 800 grams! Something we had never found.

Sofia taking pictures of the findings

Gabriella and Mario who is about to give the puppies a treat

This spring’s findings