The Truffle Hunters

The Truffle Hunters 2020 A Beautiful Stories Production Producers/Directors: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw Language: Italian with English Subtitles

For my first non-cheese post, I chose to remain in the specialty food arena and write about a top-shelf specialty food: Alba White Truffles. and “The Truffles Hunters” from Sony Classics. Before my thoughts on this documentary, I thought a short tutorial on truffles in general and white truffles specifically might be fun.

French Gastronome Jean Brillat-Savarin called truffles “the diamond of the kitchen”.

What Are Truffles?

What are truffles? Truffles are the fruiting body of a subterranean fungus species of the tuberaceae family of fungi and usually found near certain tree roots. Their spore is dispersed by fungivores, animals and insects that only eat fungi and live underground.

The truffle fungus enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the tree where it grows on the roots. The truffle passes water and mineral nutrients to the tree. In turn the tree provides sugars produced through photosynthesis to the fungus.[1]

Several truffle species are edible and are prized primarily for their aromatic properties. The species more common to fine dining are the black truffle, summer truffle (sometimes called Burgundy) and the white truffle. In “The Truffle Hunters”, the movie producers center their documentary around three truffle hunters who exclusively forage for the White Alba Truffle found only in the Piedmonte area of Northern Italy.

History of Truffles

Truffles are mentioned historically as early as 4^th Century BCE but did not gain popularity until the 18^th Century when King Francis I of France became enamored of them. In the 1780s they began appearing in the Parisian markets. In 1825 Brillat-Savarin noted they were so expensive that they only appeared on the tables of nobles and kept women. [2] However, it should be noted the peasants who discovered the first truffles enjoyed them as part of their diet. I assume once they became popular, the peasants ate less of them choosing instead to sell them.

In the early 1800s, farmers began to cultivate truffles. It was a known fact that they grew among the roots of certain trees and Joseph Talon in Southern France transplanted some seedlings that he had collected at the foot of oak trees known to host truffles.[3] In 1847, Auguste Rousseau of Carpentras planted 7 hectares (17 acres) of oak trees known to produce truffles. His endeavors were successful producing a large harvest of truffles. This was met with enthusiasm, especially in Southern France where the soil and the weather were conducive to truffle-growing.[4]

Blights killed the vineyards and silkworms rendered the mulberry trees of Southern France useless for truffle production. Coupled with the Industrial Revolution creating rural exodus to cities and the loss of 20% of French male working force lost in WWI, the truffle industry suffered. Truffle-producing trees have a life cycle of about 30 years; most dying between WWI and WWII. As a result, prices soared and became a delicacy that most could no longer afford.[5]

In the 1970s, new attempts at cultivation started again and today wild truffles are rare. About 80% of French truffles are from commercially planted groves.[6]

More Information About Truffles

Truffles grow in many areas of the world, including New Zealand, Australia, North Africa and in the US, truffles are commercially harvested in Oregon. Farmers in the South US are attempting to cultivate truffles but so far, the success has been minimal.[7]

“The Truffle Hunters” concentrates on the foraging of white truffles in the Piedmonte region of Italy. According to the filmmakers, white truffles have to date, eluded commercial production.

Dogs, because of their keen sense of smell, make ideal “helpers” in finding truffles buried beneath the ground. This is particularly true in finding the Oregon black truffle which grows deeper than most other species. Female pigs are also used, but they tend to eat the truffles before the “hunter” can harvest them.[8]

Black truffles have a longer growing season of about 9 months, making them more accessible and affordable than the elusive Alba white truffle, whose season is only from September to early January. The scarcity and aromatic properties of the white truffle are why the cost is astronomical. At Gourmetfoodworld.com, I found this cost chart for white truffles. On the low end, you can buy white truffles for US$4815 per pound and on the high end US$6578 per pound.

Aromatic and Taste Properties of Truffles

The aromatic and taste properties of truffles differ somewhat between the species but overall, it’s the aroma that determines the allure by gourmands. Some words used to describe the aroma and taste include, musky meaty, gamy and earthy. One specie has been compared to the umami notes of black olives.

Total disclosure: I don’t care for truffles. I can’t get past the aroma. One website referred to the aroma and taste as “needed to acquire”. Like a gin martini, why do I need to acquire the taste of something I don’t like?

Nutritional Information

Truffles are low in calories, fat, salt and contain no cholesterol They provide dietary fiber, protein, potassium vitamin A, D, C and B-6, calcium, iron and magnesium.[9]

Storage and Uses of Truffles

Truffles have a short shelf-life of only 10 days to 2 weeks and lose half of their flavor after 5 days.[10] Most brokers sell to restaurants and the best way for the consumer to enjoy the full flavor and aroma is in a restaurant setting. As a consumer, it is difficult to buy fresh truffles for home use; they either are old or not “as advertised”.

Since most of us can’t hop on a plane to Italy during white truffle season, alternatives for your kitchen are truffle oil or sea salt infused with truffle, which can give you a “truffle fix”.

If you do buy for home use; try and see and smell the truffle first to ensure its freshness and authenticity. For the white truffle, you pretty much must travel to Italy to know you are getting the real deal. To store, wrap truffles in a paper towel inside an airtight plastic container and set in your refrigerator. Do not clean until you are ready to sue the truffle. Avoid humidity and condensation. Do not store with rice as the rice will dehydrate the truffles. Allow the truffles to come to room temperature before using.[11]

Tip: If you store your truffles with eggs, the eggs will absorb the flavor of the truffles.[12]

Popular uses for this aromatic umami tuber include placing paper-this shavings under the skin of a chicken, duck and other game birds before roasting. One article I read stated that their preferred use in 18^th Century France was to accompany turkey. Layered between foie gras terrine or atop filet mignon, wild boar and venison. Truffles are often grated into wine-based and cream sauces and shaved atop pasta, risotto, scrambled eggs and potato dishes. You can buy cheeses that are infused with truffles and truffle oil is also a more affordable way to enjoy the flavor and aroma of truffles.[13] D’Artagnan offers a Black Truffle Ice Cream recipe on their website.

The Truffle Hunters

Now for the film. This is Sony Classics’ synopsis of the film from its website:[14] (Trailer below my comments)

Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. They’re guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly-trained dogs. They live a simpler, slower way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land, seemingly straight out of a fairy tale. They’re untethered to cell phone screens or the Internet, opting instead to make their food and drink by hand and prioritizing in-person connections and community.

The demand for white truffles increases year after year, even as the supply decreases. As a result of climate change, deforestation, and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters’ secrets are more coveted than ever. However, as it soon becomes clear, these ageing men may just hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.

I viewed the film three times (once for enjoyment; once to make notes; and a third time to fine-tune my thoughts). I recommend the film to anyone interested in food and especially truffles, man’s relationship with dogs and small slice-of-life documentaries. However, I found the film to be somewhat disjointed. The producers attempted to meld the business of truffle hunting with the joys of the hunters’ everyday life. But they don’t quite pull it off.

My favorite scenes depict the relationships between the hunters and their dogs. As far as I’m concerned, the dogs are the stars of the movie. Birba’s “dad” (the names of the hunters are never specifically revealed) loves her the way any parent would love a child. Birba sits on the table during meals and her owner presents her with a birthday cake. complete with flaming candles. In another scene, the two stop for water while out

hunting; the hunter has Birba’s dish in his pocket. Birba’s owner shares a story of a man wanting to buy Birba with a blank check. Birba’s owner counters with the offer of 50k Euros to buy the man’s child.

In other scenes, one hunter is in the tub with one of his dogs bathing her and then using a hair dryer on its coat and Carlo, a hunter and Titina, his dog, are blessed by the local Priest in a ceremony at the church.

The cutthroat side of the business is featured in several scenes. In an early scene, a broker uses a hunter’s age (and closeness to dying) to try and “learn” (think: steal) his best hunting spots. The hunter is not interested in his scheme. In another, two brokers, over espresso, accuse each other of buying from “their” hunters and customers behind each other’s backs. Evidently, hunters and brokers have historically had “territories” and honoring such is considered sacrosanct. Of course, both deny the allegations. One justifies his sketchy actions claiming if he receives a call from a hunter or a buyer, he has no way of knowing that the caller “belongs” to anyone else. The other isn’t buying his excuses. (The brokers are portrayed as slick operators in their fancy clothes while the hunters show no interest in fashion.)

Truffle Grader enjoying eggs and fondue with shaved white truffles

Another shady side of the business is the black market for white truffles. Several scenes portray men meeting in back alleys at night to buy and sell truffles. The scenes remind me of drug deals or the guy sidling up to you in Manhattan’s Chinatown, opening his jacket, “Wanna buy a Rolex?” In one of the scenes in a back alley, the hunter tells his buyer how bad the hunting has been this season; whereas in an earlier scene, the same hunter is chatting with a fellow hunter about how good the hunting has been. One black market scene takes place in a cemetery. One buyer complains about a scratch from a dog’s claw; the hunter shrugs if off as easy to remove.

One hunter retired and expressed bitterness at how unscrupulous interlopers were invading territories, going onto private property, tearing down fences; all in the name of greed. Even going as far as setting poisoned meatballs bait traps to kill the sniffing dogs. Vets have created muzzles to protect the dogs. One hunter carries hydrogen peroxide with him to force vomiting if a dog eats one of the poison baits.

In 2014, The Atlantic write an article about “The Dark Side of the Truffle Trade”. It’s worth a read.

An interesting facet of the business involves the truffle grader. We first meet him in a doctor’s office, with the doctor examining his nose and pronouncing it “up to the task”. After that quick scene, we see the grader smelling different truffles, weighing them and haggling with the hunters about their cleanliness. He refuses one truffle, claiming it is the same one the hunter tried to sell him the week before. My assumption is that during the season, the grader is on hand daily to buy from the hunters.

The grader is seen with two women sniffing truffles in wine glasses and describing their scents as “wet ground” and “spice notes”. Both women choose the truffle with the more intense aroma as a favorite. After the grading scenes, a truffle auction takes place with a prized, large truffle sitting on a red velvet cushion. I read in one article about a truffle weighing more than 2 kilograms selling at auction for more than US$300K.

What I found disjointing were the producers attempts to show the personal sides of the hunters’ lives. These scenes seemed to be dropped into the movie without advancing the story; disrupting the movie’s flow. While the scenes added “flavor”, most were jarring. The best example was three scenes cut together beginning with a hunter reporting a poisoning to the local Carabinieri. Suddenly the movie cuts to this same hunter playing a set of drums and then abruptly cuts back to him in his yard standing over his dog that has been poisoned and died. Except for the drumming, these scenes would have played better earlier when the issue of poisoning first arose, after the scene with the vet explaining how to muzzle the dog to protect it. There are others as well: Carlo and the Priest discussing the afterlife; Carlo and his wife at the dance; the hunter who no longer hunts showing pictures from his day as an acrobat and a womanizer; car stuck in the mud; a hunter setting a clock.

For obvious reasons, little “hunting” is filmed; the hunters reluctant to share their best spots. The way fishermen protect their best “fishing holes”. One fun addition was the GoPro attached to one of the dogs; seeing the hunt from his POV.

There are several poignant scenes between Carlo and his wife. He had walked into some brambles while hunting at night and she worries that he will fall and no longer be able to support the two of them. In one scene, they separate tomatoes without saying a word and in another they dump baskets of green grapes into a press. At the dinner table she berates him over his exploits; the way couples who have been married for decades. She makes him promise to stop hunting at night.

The final scene of the movie shows Carlo climbing out a window, sneaking into the dark with Titina for another night of truffle hunting.

The Truffle Hunters is currently running on Starz and Hulu which require a subscription. You can also view/buy it on YouTube.com.

My friend and Cheese Colleague, Babs Hogan aka The Healthy Cheese Lady has created her first “Cheesy” T-Shirt in a new line of clothing. The T-Shirt is only $20 and you can order it here. I will have a Q&A with Babs later this week for her launch. Everyone needs this T-Shirt because it’s true: “Cheese Makes Me Happy”.

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

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[1] https://www.leftbankmelbourne.com.au/blog/truffle-facts/

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#White

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#White

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#Renaissance_and_modernity

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#Renaissance_and_modernity

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#Renaissance_and_modernity

[7] https://www.wideopeneats.com/what-are-truffles/

[8] https://www.wideopenpets.com/truffle-hunting-dogs/?_ga=2.93484187.729104146.1645469097-1217833427.1643487020

[9] https://www.leftbankmelbourne.com.au/blog/truffle-facts/

[10] https://www.leftbankmelbourne.com.au/blog/truffle-facts/

[11] https://www.dartagnan.com/black-truffle-ice-cream-with-truffle-honey-florentines-recipe.html

[12] https://www.dartagnan.com/black-truffle-ice-cream-with-truffle-honey-florentines-recipe.html