I don’t think
I’ve ever eaten so many different varieties of mushrooms cooked in so many
different ways than in the past few weeks. When we ran out of ideas of how to
cook them (fried, in risotto, breaded…) and were almost – yes – fed up of
eating them, we decided to use the rest of our supply to make a tasty mushroom
soup.
The wet weather
we’ve had lately has provided the ideal conditions for mushrooms to grow in the
dark and damp forests. Istrians love their mushrooms and the locals here know
all about the different varieties, where to pick them and importantly, which
ones are edible and which ones are not.
When I eat
mushrooms I always think of my grandmother. She had loved to pick mushrooms in
the forest near the family home and then cook them up for her grandchildren,
though she didn’t appreciate the taste of mushrooms herself. During my visits
to Istria, I liked to go to the forest with her and would be amazed at how
easily she would spot them, while my untrained eye searched in vain.
This is also the
peak season for truffles. Our truffle-hunting neighbour has had more luck
lately. As soon as he takes his tractor out of the garage every morning, his
dogs run around in excitement, knowing that they’re going truffle hunting. They
jump onto the trailer hooked up to the tractor and off they go into the forest.
Just yesterday he showed me three white truffles he found, which looked like
small, bumpy, yellowish-coloured potatoes with a very pungent smell. This was a
lucky find as white truffles fetch a very high price.
The forests of Istria |
Recently we went
to the village of Livade near Motovun for Tuberfest, one of the many truffle festivals happening around Istria. We tasted samples of white and black
truffles as well as dishes prepared with them. There were also all kinds of
‘truffle products’ for sale like flavoured oils, pastes, cheeses and pasta.
The highlight of
the festival in Livade was the truffle hunting demonstration. The multilingual
guide (who spoke Croatian, Italian, German and English) shared her vast
knowledge of truffles and truffle-hunting. She explained that there are about
800 registered truffle hunters in Istria holding the required licence – how
many ‘unregistered’ hunters there are is anyone’s guess. Hunters can spend
hours walking through the forests with their specially-trained dogs who have a
highly-developed sense of smell for truffles. Once a dog catches the scent of a
truffle, it starts digging furiously at the ground. The hunter then gives the
dog a treat and continues the digging because it’s important not to damage the
truffle. Apparently the best dogs for truffle-hunting are German hunting dogs
(Weimaraners) and an Italian breed of dog called Lagotto Romagnolo. A hunter
will always have two dogs with him: one is experienced in truffle hunting while
the other is younger and still in training and learns by imitating the older
dog. Early morning is considered the best time to hunt for truffles because the
dogs’ sense of smell is at its peak and they’re also hungry so keen to
hunt.
Digging for truffles... |
Just as the guide
finished her presentation, a dog jumped out of the forest we were standing next
to (perfectly timed!) and started digging frantically. Close behind him was
another dog and their owner who was quick to take over and continue the digging
with a small spade, unearthing – surprise, surprise – a white truffle.
My name is Tuber Magnum Pico and I'm a white truffle. |
According to the
Guinness Book of World Records, the largest white truffle was found here in
Istria in 1999, weighing 1.31 kg and valued at over $5000. This record
is held by Giancarlo Zigante but locals here say that he did not actually find
it but had bought it from a truffle hunter. Mr Zigante has a well-known
truffle restaurant in the village of Livade and a shop which sells truffles and
all kinds of truffle products like truffle pastes and oils.
Truffle hunting
is in any case, a very lucrative business and many people in Istria try their
luck in finding the elusive white truffle. Our neighbour told me about a large
white truffle he had found years ago, the proceeds of which he was able to use
to finance the construction of his house. Today, due to less favourable
exchange rates and higher living costs, the profit would not be as significant,
but truffle hunting is a way many people try to supplement their income.
As for the taste
of truffles, this is something which is hard to describe… the taste is very
‘earthy’ and somehow a bit mushroom-like, similar to the smell and taste of
dried mushrooms. The taste of the white truffle is very strong and the smell
almost overpowering. My favourite way of eating it is grated over a traditional
type of Istrian pasta called fuži.
Have you ever tried truffles? Black or white? What's your favourite way of eating them?
Have you ever tried truffles? Black or white? What's your favourite way of eating them?