Truffle hunting in Chianti and Tuscany

The tradition of truffle hunting in Chianti

“A man and a dog, tightly bound in a lasting alliance, who challenge the darkness of night, the rain, and the cold, who experience an adventure that has remained unchanged over the centuries but that is reinvented each time by the desire to find a prey that has the flavor of a fait accompli, the epilogue whose scent makes it unique and incomparable: the truffle.”

That is how Andrea Daprati describes this ancient tradition, the heart of which lies in the relationship between man and dog including here in Chianti, in his book “Tartufi, cani e tartufai” [Truffles, Dogs, and Truffle Hunters]. It is the essence of truffle hunting. It is the essence of truffle hunting.

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A game of symbiosis

It is said that this alliance — this relationship of reciprocal collaboration — started around 1380, although its true origins probably date back even earlier.

The close and special bond that develops between a truffle hunter and his dog takes years of great dedication and love, of sharing. It is similar to the relationship created in nature between the plant and the truffle: a symbiosis between a mushroom and the roots of a tree, an extremely beneficial union for the health of the ecosystem, but also fundamental for the evolution of various species of truffle and for the selection of their specific traits.

It takes a truffle to find a truffle

Hunting for and gathering truffles are activities that have to be done with respect for protecting the natural environment. In fact, a well-trained dog, with its intelligence and refined sense of smell, is able to identify the exact point where the ripest truffles are located. This is essential so as not to alter the ecological balance and so as not damage the other mycorrhized roots. It’s no coincidence that in the dog world, the scientific term for a dog’s nose is precisely the word “truffle.”

We can therefore talk about the art of truffle hunting in Chianti, which man and dog refine overt time, but which is able to give unique moments, full of joy, love, satisfaction. And even in times of disappointment, it remains magical and mysterious, full of wonder and emotion, intertwining stolen glances, whispered phrases, wagging tails, licks, and belly rubs.