Piedmont

In 2005, we bought our house in southern Piedmont, at that time a relatively unknown region in northern Italy. A year later, when we actually emigrated to Italy, many people asked us where exactly we were moving to. The easiest way to explain it was to say that we were going to live in the bottom corner of the triangle formed by Turin, Milan, and Genoa—a beautiful region with stunning hills, forests, vineyards, and still relatively few tourists.

Autumn

Now, 16 years later, we see more and more foreigners in our region who enjoy spending their holidays in this beautiful green area. Moreover, Piedmont is known for its excellent wines and delicious food, which is particularly highlighted in autumn, thanks to everything nature provides, such as mushrooms, chestnuts, and, of course, truffles.

Truffles

What is a truffle? The truffle, “Tartufo” in Italian, is a knobby fungus or mushroom that grows underground on and between the roots and trunks of trees. There are black truffles and white truffles. In the past, the local population ate them like potatoes, but back then, they were much less rare than they are now. These days, you’ll need a well-stocked wallet, as white truffles, in particular, are not cheap.

There are winter, autumn, and summer varieties of the black truffle, which grow from around May until January. The winter truffle is the most delicate of the black truffles, while the autumn truffle has a slightly milder flavour. The summer truffle has fairly light flesh and a less intense taste.

The queen of truffles is the white truffle, which is the rarest and most valuable. The season runs from September until January, and this white truffle has a strong, earthy scent.

The International Alba White Truffle Fair

During the (white) truffle season, the “Fiera del Tartufo Bianco” (White Truffle Fair) of Alba takes place every weekend. It is the oldest and most important truffle market in Italy, attracting visitors from all over the world. This year, the fair runs from October 9 until Sunday, December 5.

In Alba, there is a truffle shop named after the man who made the truffle world-famous and desirable—Giacomo Morra. He was the one who organized the first truffle fair, which took place as early as 1929.

The documentary “The Truffle Hunters”

It’s no surprise that during this season, the beautiful documentary “The Truffle Hunters” premiered in various cinemas. This documentary portrays the vibrant lives of these, often elderly, Italian men, who frequently go out at night searching for truffles while keeping the best secret spots in the forest to themselves. The American filmmakers highlight the contrasting world of the truffle hunters.

The truffle hunters are often men around 80 years old, deeply connected to nature and traditions, living without much material wealth. They have lived this way for generations. The white truffle, which these men hunt, can only be found in the wild and is so rare that it is sometimes literally worth its weight in gold. You’ll only find these white truffles in expensive restaurants.

It’s a simple life for the truffle hunters, compared to the large sums of money involved in the trade of these same truffles.

Angelo

Last Saturday morning, Guus and I were on our way to Asti. We had plenty of time, so I asked Guus to take us down small, lesser-known roads. During autumn, the nature is so beautiful that we both enjoy it.

On this ride, we noticed a large, old mansion that caught our attention, so we stopped to take a look. An elderly, remarkable man in a blue overall, with a beret and long gray beard and hair, came out and started chatting with us. He turned out to be Angelo from the documentary and invited us to tour the house. Angelo isn’t the owner of the mansion but has lived in one of its side wings for 33 years as a sort of caretaker. He lives there with his truffle dog Nina and a few cats and is also a farmer and poet. His little house was simple but neat, with plenty of piles of books everywhere.

 

Above are photos of Angelo from the documentary. The left photo was taken in the old wine cellar of the mansion, which he showed us. Despite the clutter, it was beautifully authentic. In the right photo, he is typing among stacks of books. Angelo doesn’t have a television, internet, or a phone, and he mentioned that he isn’t going to the cinema to see the film either.

But when I asked if I could take a picture of us together, he immediately stood in front of his house to pose.

 

It was a special encounter for us with an unusual, unique man on a somewhat misty Saturday morning. Angelo no longer hunts for truffles, as he feels that the truffle trade has become too corrupt.

Truffle Hunting Yourself

During the months of October and November, it is possible to go into the woods with a truffle hunter to search for the white truffle. Truffle hunts are also organized in the summer months, but then for the black summer truffle. As fun and educational as such a truffle hunt might be, I always have doubts about the authenticity. Truffle hunters keep their best spots well-guarded secrets, so you can’t tell me they share those locations with tourists.

Even the filmmakers of “The Truffle Hunters” spent three years filming and are not convinced that the truffle hunters took them to truly good spots.

Film

Perhaps a fun tip for everyone is to go see the film and get a glimpse into this unknown, mystical world of truffle hunters.

Best regards,
Silvia