So, what are Truffles? They are rare, edible mushrooms with an intense aroma and flavor. They grow underground and can be difficult to find. They only grow in certain parts of the world. Certain experts in the past (and some still do) used pigs and hogs to find them—today, in Italy, dogs are used as they don’t eat them as soon as they find them! That was a big problem–the hogs would eat the truffles as soon as they found them before they could be stopped. The dogs, on the other hand, can be trained not to eat them so they end up being a much better choice for the hunt.
October and November in Italy are great times to hunt and eat truffles. There’s also the Fiera del Tartufo or truffle market which takes places during this time. Prices vary per pound each year. The rarest truffles are the most expensive food in the world. Did you know that the record price paid for a single white truffle was $330,000. It was unearthed near Pisa, Italy and weighed 3.3 pounds!
Imagine learning to make hand-made pasta only to drizzle your own creation with a special sauce created by you from the truffles you hunted in the morning! During our Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun Experience, we hunt truffle with truffle hunting experts and their dog. We walk the hills and with the help of the dogs, seek and find the most delectable truffles we can to use later in the kitchen during our hands-on cooking class. Heading over to the kitchen, we learn to make Tagliatelle con Tartufo or Tagliatelle with Truffle sauce. It’s only the start of the week with many authentic recipes to come so pace yourself, pack yourself!
Of course with any Tagliatelle con Tartufo wine is a good complement. We usually enjoy a Chianti Riserva with this dish as it brings out the best of each. In Tuscany, there’s always enough Chianti to go around and you certainly can spend your time focusing on wine tasting during The Ultimate Tuscan Wine Experience where we indulge in stunning wineries in Tuscany during tours, wine tastings and exclusive tasting and dinner menus. It’s all part of living like a local with A Toast to Travel.
If you’ve always wanted to visit Italy or if you’ve already been and have always wanted to go back, now’s the time to pack your bags. All you need to do is get there and we’ll handle the rest!
