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Everything You Should Know About Truffle Hunting in Italy

Whether you’re searching in Tuscany, Umbria or Piedmont, a good truffle hunt starts with the right season, the right guide and the right expectations.

It’s a sunny spring day in Tuscany, and we’re loading up in a truck to go truffle hunting. Two truffle dogs, Mosca and Bianca, are resting in their crate, which hangs off the back of the car, parked outside Castelfalfi. I’d always assumed truffle hunting, a popular activity across several regions in Italy, was an autumn endeavor. But our guide, Matteo Giuliani, explains that you can search for them any time of year. In fact, there are many misconceptions about truffle hunting, a point echoed by multiple experts. 

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We set out mid-morning, before the heat rises. Giuliani drives into a shaded section of forest within Castelfalfi’s 300-acre grounds. It’s fenced off, and he’s the only truffle hunter with exclusive access. By the time we park the truck, Mosca and Bianca are eager to go. Giuliani always goes out with two dogs, one more experienced than the other. If he brings more than two, the dogs tend to get too competitive, and it’s harder to chase them. Mosca and Bianca are a special mix of breeds cultivated by Giuliani’s family (his cousin and his father are also truffle hunters, and they own 12 dogs between them), and they wriggle with excitement about the prospect of the search. 

April isn’t the ideal time for truffle hunting. It falls between the season for bianchetto marzuolo truffles, which runs from January until mid-March, and black summer truffle season. Still, within minutes, the dogs catch a scent and begin racing through the forest. Giuliani, truffle spade in hand, runs after them, waving for us to follow. The dogs tear into the ground, dirt flying up and covering their faces. As they get close to the prize, Giuliani pulls them away. “They want to eat it,” he explains. The first truffle, disappointingly, has holes, which means it’s less appealing to restaurants (although Giuliani still takes it for other uses, like truffle oil or infused honey). But the dogs quickly uncover more in the shade of the trees.

“There are certain places where I truffle hunt where I know where the truffles are, but I don’t know if the truffles are ready to be picked because they have a specific smell,” Giuliani says. “But the dogs know. They find the truffle at the exact moment when the truffle is ready to be picked.”

Like many hotels around Italy that offer truffle hunting experiences, Castelfalfi gives guests the opportunity to taste their finds at lunch or dinner. It’s a way of connecting the ingredient to its source, which is one reason why........

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