Truffle Hunting in Piemonte

Marya Valli

While truffle hunting may take one to other corners of Europe, chefs and gourmets agree that Piemontese truffles are the finest and most aromatic of all.

Piemonte: The Original Truffle Hunting Haven

Piemonte is the original white truffle production area: the white truffle is also called the “Alba truffle” after the main town in the Langhe. The tuber magnatum pico are also found in a few other areas in Europe (notably northern & central Italy).

In Piemonte, the truffles grow symbiotically on the roots of many trees and bushes, from blackberries to oak to hazelnut, as well as poplar and beech. Piemonte’s natural areas, from the steep shady valleys between sunny, well-exposed prime vineyards to the high-altitude forests of the Alta Langa, lend themselves well to the truffle hunt.

Man’s Best Friend

While dogs have long been man’s best friend, to a truffle hunter they’re so much more—friend, business partner, confidante and often a family member.

Small, mixed-breed mutts make the best truffle hunters. The truffle hunter begins training the pup by letting the dog sniff a bit of truffle and nibble it, then pairs the scent with a doggie treat.  He then places the truffle on the ground and rewards the dog for going to it.  Then he bit by bit digs a little hole for the truffle, rewarding the dog with each find, until the truffle is covered with earth and still found.

But actually, much of the training is just about revealing the dog’s natural aptitude.  Some dogs have extraordinary noses (like Diana, the trusted companion of our truffle-hunter friend Beppe!) and just adore their work.