Truffle Hunting In Tuscany
If you are you going to do anything in Italy, especially in Tuscany, this is a must. I have never experienced anything more fascinating than the true art behind finding a truffle.
We did the truffle hunting at Sant’Appiano Farm which is located in Barberino Val d’Elsa. The cost was 180 USD per person and is half a day. First, you go truffle hunting and then you indulge in a four-course truffle meal. They do also provide rain boots so you don’t get your shoes dirty! I would suggest though wearing comfortable clothes and a rain jacket just in case.
In Tuscany, they use dogs to find the truffles. Our dog hunter that day had his nose low and sniffing like crazy because he ended up finding us the biggest truffle ever. It was a white truffle and was worth about 5,000 euros. When the dog found the truffle, our tour guide then had to slowly move the truffle out, being careful to get every portion of the pricy mushroom. A little warning though, it is possible to go through the hunt and the dog does not find anything. We were lucky in that sense but overall it still would have been a great experience either way.
After the hunt, we celebrated with a glass of wine and a 4-course meal that incorporated truffle in every portion. They brought us downstairs into a wine cellar that had a very unique brick room with so much culture and character to it.
Our first course was fresh bread with different dipping sauces, all with the signature truffle taste.
The second meal was a salad with a side of truffle omelet.
The third course and my favorite, was the truffle pasta. I am still to daydreaming about this pasta because it was seriously the best truffle pasta I have ever had. I have tried a lot of truffle pasta since to see if they ever live up to that meal but they always disappoint.
The fourth course and it may sound weird was truffle ice cream. It was so incredibly good and I was very impressed. Give it a try if you ever make it to this cute truffle farm.
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