Truffles and truffle hunters

The search for the white truffle, tuber magnatum pico, a valuable underground fungus that floods Piedmontese tables with its aroma in autumn, is surrounded by mystery. During foggy nights from September to December, the truffle hunter and his dog “tabui” set off in search of truffles in the silence of the Monferrato and Langa woods. Black cape, boots and a sack containing the “paga”, the treats he gives his trusted “tabui” when he (or she) finds a truffle. The truffle hunter digs out the truffle using a small tool, a bit like a mini-pick, known as a “sapin” in Piedmontese. The Alba white truffle can also be found in Costigliole d’Asti.