(15 Nov 2013) In October and November, the damp forests of Piedmont become nature's gold mines. Near the roots of poplar, oak and hazelnut trees, sprouts the aromatic and precious white truffle. A fungus so elusive, that only a canine nose can find it.
Like Leo's.
The young, mix-breed was born to hunt truffles. He's Walter Tedesco's trusty companion. Here, having a leg up on the competition is everything. So Walter says its best to hunt the rare fungus at night.
"So that others can't hear me and so that no one sees the spots where truffles are more inclined to grow," he says.
But even in daylight, Leo manages to sniff out a pocket-sized truffle.
Weighing 1 ounce, a truffle like this one could sell for $100 at the White Truffle festival in Alba. That's where truffle hunters like Walter sell their season's best to fans from around the world.
Alba could be called truffle town. Here, everyone knows someone who hunts for the famous fungus. So during November, the city turns into an open market. Oozing from the pores of truffles, aromas of onion, garlic and honey beckon buyers. But finding the perfect truffle can be tricky. So, truffle judge, Giorgio Richiardi lends his refined nose to inexperienced customers.
"We come across young people who decide to have a truffle dinner among friends, so they need to decide how much they can spend, and how much they can actually get," says Richiardi. "So it's a pleasure to help out this way."
But even for the experts, it's nearly impossible to describe the flavour of white truffles. In the kitchen of Il Boscaretto Resort & Spa, Master Chef Marco Forneris calls them magical.
"First of all, because of how they sprout, and how they are hunted at night," says Forneris. "It's a kind of magic that is then transported onto a plate."
At his restaurant, Forneris prefers to shave raw truffle over simple dishes, like egg cream, or risotto. Just a few slivers are enough to turn a simple dish into a fancy meal.
White truffles have always been an Italian delicacy. However, these days, they are booming internationally, becoming as desirable as Ferraris.
At this year's International White Truffle Auction, connoisseurs and restaurateurs paid $360,000 for 12 truffles. The last item of the auction, a pair of white truffles weighing two pounds, was sold to a Hong Kong bidder for 90,000 Euros ($120,000).
This one item is double the price of gold.
A truffle is not just hard to find, explains Mauro Carbone, Director from the National White Truffle Research Centre: "It's not only rare, but unique because each truffle is different to every other one." says Carbone. "Inside there are 120, 140 molecules that give them different aromas."
Food for thought at these prices.
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