Truffles in Italy (not the choc. kind)
Nov 5th, 2007, 10:06 AM
#41
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The two places I know of that make a point of offering special menus say that they come from Piedmont.
Here is another menu if you want to get an idea; scroll down to the white truffle tasting menu at 295$$..
I am not sure which dishes have truffles but I would guess that the tallarine is made with truffle butter and that the truffles are shaved over the Parmigiano risotto and perhaps also over the mushrooms at the start. And over the cauliflower gratin that accompanies the lamb..
http://www.delposto.com/dinner_menu.htm#tasting1
Here is another menu if you want to get an idea; scroll down to the white truffle tasting menu at 295$$..
I am not sure which dishes have truffles but I would guess that the tallarine is made with truffle butter and that the truffles are shaved over the Parmigiano risotto and perhaps also over the mushrooms at the start. And over the cauliflower gratin that accompanies the lamb..
http://www.delposto.com/dinner_menu.htm#tasting1
Nov 5th, 2007, 10:52 AM
#42
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No leg pulling - seriously. As I mentioned we went to the TI office in Roc, Istria and asked the girl there (can look up her name for you) to make some arrangements as we cannot speak Croatian. She made arrangements with a guy who had never done it before but agreed to do it with us because we are foreigners and could not find it again!!
It truly is that secretive. Tricky to get to - there is no way you could use an ordinary rental car, at least where we were. After we did the hunt, the guy asked us to wait in a parking lot for him. He went to his house, drove back, and asked us to get in to his car - he showed us his largest truffles from two days prior - they were worth about 1,000 euros. He explained the grading and pricing - very expensive. Many of the truffles he finds are between 200 and 400 euros each. He sells them to restaurants.
Before we even went we knew it was very secretive. He and his fellow hunters know not to tread on each other's territory. In fact, some people are actually blindfolded (if they are from that country). It is a huge deal.
We went to a truffle restaurant that was out of this world! You must try http://www.zigantetartufi.com/novo/i...id=107&L=2.
We found about 8 or so and were allowed to keep the ones that had nicks in them (lower quality). We kept them and asked a restaurant to shave them on top of risotto the next day as they are very perishable. It is an amazing experience. You are walking in pitch black darkness with only flashlights with dogs. They sniff them out (so very fragrant) and then the guy digs with a special tool. I would do it again in an instant!!
I have read several times recently that Italians have been selling Croatian truffles as they are reputed to be of better quality. If you are in Croatia you must go to the truffle festival in Groznjan (end of September).
It truly is that secretive. Tricky to get to - there is no way you could use an ordinary rental car, at least where we were. After we did the hunt, the guy asked us to wait in a parking lot for him. He went to his house, drove back, and asked us to get in to his car - he showed us his largest truffles from two days prior - they were worth about 1,000 euros. He explained the grading and pricing - very expensive. Many of the truffles he finds are between 200 and 400 euros each. He sells them to restaurants.
Before we even went we knew it was very secretive. He and his fellow hunters know not to tread on each other's territory. In fact, some people are actually blindfolded (if they are from that country). It is a huge deal.
We went to a truffle restaurant that was out of this world! You must try http://www.zigantetartufi.com/novo/i...id=107&L=2.
We found about 8 or so and were allowed to keep the ones that had nicks in them (lower quality). We kept them and asked a restaurant to shave them on top of risotto the next day as they are very perishable. It is an amazing experience. You are walking in pitch black darkness with only flashlights with dogs. They sniff them out (so very fragrant) and then the guy digs with a special tool. I would do it again in an instant!!
I have read several times recently that Italians have been selling Croatian truffles as they are reputed to be of better quality. If you are in Croatia you must go to the truffle festival in Groznjan (end of September).
Nov 5th, 2007, 11:11 AM
#44
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Oh, and did I mention the truffle hunter is hot? Oops - was that out loud?
He allowed us to take a few pictures of him and the dogs and the truffles - we promised we would not show them to anyone and so far we have done that.
He allowed us to take a few pictures of him and the dogs and the truffles - we promised we would not show them to anyone and so far we have done that.
Nov 5th, 2007, 12:44 PM
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Travel2live: Thanks for elaborating further about the white truffle hunting. I've only had a white truffle tasting dinner once and it was truly unforgetable. Black truffle doesn't come anywhere close to the white kind. I'm confused to hear that the harvesting was done in September, would that make it the summer or winter white truffle? I always thought that white truffle season starts in November. Did the guy explain when the season starts/ends in Croatia?
Nov 6th, 2007, 12:56 AM
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Travel2live thanks for sharing your experience in Croatia, I have heard about this restaurant before, there was a debate last year on this forum at this time about the relative quality of white truffles from Piedmont, Slovenia, Croatia, Tuscany, Umbria and Marche.
Of course every truffle producing area says they have the best, and lacking a blind truffle tasting competition, which would be hard to arrange as where would it be held and how fresh would be the truffles, it would take a dedicated gourmet who knows his or her truffles well with and educated nose and palate to travel from region to region sampling the best during fall. What a great challenge!
All I can say living in Pedmont, but not being an "expert" on truffles, is that our Piedmontese ones found in the "zone" centred on Asti and encompassing Alba, Acqui Terme, Alessandria, Casale Monferrato, Castlenouvo Don Bosco, and Canale (or basically the classic wine areas of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero) are regarded by truffle connoisseurs as the best in the world.
And as for Croatian truffles being sold in Italy, I don't think its that they are better then Italian ones, (or at least Piedmont), I would say that obviously Croatia had more precipitation this year then Italy and that their season started earlier.Most truffle areas in Italy experienced a near drought this year, and truffles need wet and cool conditions to start germinating. In normal years you can start finding white truffles in September, better in October and best in November and December. So I would guess that many Croatian truffles probably come into Italy to feed the demand from tourists. Locals around here know that November is the time to start eating tartufi bianchi.
None the less, thats not to put down Croatia at all, I am sure that the fresh truffles there would be delicious and hopefully less expensive then here, and I am fascinated by the story of such large truffles being found there and that the hunter gave you his rejects (that wouldn't happen in Piedmont, they are too precious). And the truffle restaurant sounds fabulous. I would still like to know what the restaurant charges per gram for an average white truffle?
Of course every truffle producing area says they have the best, and lacking a blind truffle tasting competition, which would be hard to arrange as where would it be held and how fresh would be the truffles, it would take a dedicated gourmet who knows his or her truffles well with and educated nose and palate to travel from region to region sampling the best during fall. What a great challenge!
All I can say living in Pedmont, but not being an "expert" on truffles, is that our Piedmontese ones found in the "zone" centred on Asti and encompassing Alba, Acqui Terme, Alessandria, Casale Monferrato, Castlenouvo Don Bosco, and Canale (or basically the classic wine areas of Langhe, Monferrato and Roero) are regarded by truffle connoisseurs as the best in the world.
And as for Croatian truffles being sold in Italy, I don't think its that they are better then Italian ones, (or at least Piedmont), I would say that obviously Croatia had more precipitation this year then Italy and that their season started earlier.Most truffle areas in Italy experienced a near drought this year, and truffles need wet and cool conditions to start germinating. In normal years you can start finding white truffles in September, better in October and best in November and December. So I would guess that many Croatian truffles probably come into Italy to feed the demand from tourists. Locals around here know that November is the time to start eating tartufi bianchi.
None the less, thats not to put down Croatia at all, I am sure that the fresh truffles there would be delicious and hopefully less expensive then here, and I am fascinated by the story of such large truffles being found there and that the hunter gave you his rejects (that wouldn't happen in Piedmont, they are too precious). And the truffle restaurant sounds fabulous. I would still like to know what the restaurant charges per gram for an average white truffle?
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