{"id":5392,"date":"2021-11-06T18:49:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-06T16:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=5392"},"modified":"2025-08-14T19:37:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:37:51","slug":"am-plecat-la-vanatoare-de-trufe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2021\/11\/am-plecat-la-vanatoare-de-trufe\/","title":{"rendered":"I went truffle hunting!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I used to think truffles<\/strong> were candies. Really delicious ones, discovered in foreign countries in chocolate shops where I\u2019d have moved instantly if I could!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I only found out that truffles are also mushrooms<\/strong> after I ate them, amazed by a taste I\u2019d never experienced before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh truffle pasta, truffle cream pasta, truffle risotto, truffle butter on toast, truffle cream on crackers \u2013 oh my\u2026 my mouth is watering just remembering them! And, of course, I took pictures so I wouldn\u2019t forget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Italy I ate truffles the most, and I must admit, I was shocked to find fresh truffles\u2026 guess where\u2026 at Obor Market in Bucharest! What??<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s how this country girl found out that truffles also grow on Romanian soil. Well, I paid 50 lei for a truffle the size of a marble\u2026 It was the biggest investment I ever made in something so small, and I still had to cook it \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT TRUFFLES<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ones I\u2019ve most often come across in restaurants and shops are summer black truffles<\/strong>. But I found out there are many varieties of truffles \u2013 18 or maybe even more! Still, 4 of them are better known:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. White truffle<\/strong>, which you can find from around September 10 to the end of the year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Precious black<\/strong> (that\u2019s exactly how Google Translate rendered it from Italian), found between December and February.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Marzuolo<\/strong>, which, depending on the weather, is hunted from January through March-April.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. And the summer black<\/strong>, which is hunted between April and September. That\u2019s the one I told you about earlier…<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Summer black truffles cost around 400 euros per kilogram, while white truffles cost… brace yourselves\u2026 around 3,500 euros per kilogram!!! So you have a choice: a kilo of white truffles or a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The huge cost of the white truffle comes from its more intense, lingering flavor compared to the others, and therefore it\u2019s more appreciated. Also, very importantly: it\u2019s rare! It requires special soil, rainfall, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
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    About 2-3 years ago, at the Mercato Centrale<\/strong> in Florence<\/strong>, I almost felt like I needed a ticket \u2013 it was like a truffle exhibition right in front of me. In every possible form. There was even one shaped like\u2026 a rock, because those people had tried to recreate a giant white truffle that had been sold years earlier at a charity auction. The price? 330,000 dollars!!! It’s already in the Guinness Book of Records!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    TRUFFLE HUNTING<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Last year, during a filming project in Transylvania, I had the chance to go on a mini truffle hunt. That\u2019s when I learned a few more things beyond what I\u2019d quickly read online. But most of the information I\u2019ve gathered now, during a truffle hunt in Tuscany<\/strong>, where I took part as a very eager tourist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I took the regional train from Florence and, after 40 minutes plus another 15 by car, on an off-road ride that shook every internal organ, I arrived at Il Poggio alle Ville<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    A \u201cfarm stay\u201d with everything you need for a super peaceful vacation, far from the hustle and bustle of touristy cities. They even have a small chapel, which I thought was really cool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s a chilly late October morning. I enter the old building that serves as the dining room \u2013 a tall building filled with vintage kitchen tools from grandma\u2019s days, olive oil pressing machines worthy of a museum, photos, old maps, and so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
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    A woman lights the fire in the fireplace. Then she gets to work making pasta, so that after the hunt, the hungry tourists can enjoy freshly cooked food!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m picked up, along with a small group of Germans, by the owner himself, Raffaele. I had an \u201cin\u201d, since Raffaele is the husband of my former college classmate, Ioana, who got me into the truffle hunting crew on short notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I had wanted to take part for a long time, especially since I knew truffle hunting can be done all year round, as there are different varieties that appear in different seasons. I just never managed to catch the right moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also, you can\u2019t just show up whenever you feel like it. For the harvest to be good, the weather has to help \u2013 a balance of rain and sunny days. If there\u2019s too much water, the truffles rot underground; if there\u2019s too much drought, they\u2019re scarce and dry. Apparently, that\u2019s the situation this year. Unlike 2017, which I hear was a truly exceptional year for truffles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    People like me, who showed up in summer shoes, are given some lovely rubber boots. At least they gave me the freedom to wander through leaves and dry branches without worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We’re introduced to the dogs we’ll be hunting with: the first is Leo, the owner\u2019s dog, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo<\/em>, currently in training for truffle hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The second dog, brought by his owner, is named Scimmia and is a riccia sanminiatese<\/em> (a breed typical of the San Miniato area in Pisa \u2013 also rich in truffles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I wonder\u2026 could our local street dogs become truffle hunters? That would be something…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In theory, any dog can be trained to find truffles, I\u2019m told. However, there are breeds that are easier to train for this task. Like the ones of the two dogs we\u2019re hunting with today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I learn some surprising stories: apparently, there are people who start training dogs right from birth. They rub truffle butter on the nipples of nursing females, so the puppies associate the smell and taste with feeding from a very early age \u2013 and later on, it\u2019s easier for them to recognize it. Wild, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Alright then! Off we go on our truffle hunt!!! Yuhuuu!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m so excited, you\u2019d think I\u2019m the one going to dig for them in the trees, not the dogs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I just hope we don\u2019t come face to face with a wild boar, because boars are the best truffle hunters. And eaters…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For wild boars, truffle hunting is a necessity \u2013 they do it to feed themselves. For dogs, it\u2019s more like a game. A race in which they\u2019re rewarded with biscuits by their owner. The special pouch on the owner\u2019s outfit is like a magical spot the dog always returns to after finding a truffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    But things aren\u2019t that simple. In my mind, I thought you\u2019d train a dog, he goes, finds the truffle, and brings it back like in a game of fetch. But no. The dog\u2019s handler has to always keep a close eye on the dog. As soon as the dog finds a truffle, the handler needs to stop him from digging too much with his paws, or even eating it, because, believe it or not, dogs like truffles too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thus, the moment a dog shows signs of having found a truffle, scratching at the ground with its paws, the handler stops it, goes to that spot, and starts digging very carefully, using a special little spade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
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    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Even the human has to be careful how they dig, so they don\u2019t ruin the truffle. A partially damaged truffle \u2013 by the dog or by the tool \u2013 loses a lot of its market value!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A truffle is like an iceberg, Raffaele tells us. You see the tip, but you don\u2019t know what\u2019s underneath, so you have to be careful not to destroy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I watch the dogs searching, sniffing not just around the tree trunks, but farther out, and that confuses me. I learn that truffles grow around tree roots<\/strong>, not just at the base of the trunk like I thought. So if the roots spread far, truffles can grow there too, farther from the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You\u2019ll probably say I\u2019m crazy, but I really want to find a truffle all by myself. Is it that hard??? I search around the base of the trees, nothing. I see some roots, I go there too. Still nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well, there was something, but honestly, I wouldn\u2019t have found it. Leo came over and immediately smelled that a truffle was hidden there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    A white one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So I wouldn\u2019t feel like a total failure at this truffle business, Raffaele tells me that dogs\u2019 sense of smell is 500 times stronger than ours! So maybe I shouldn\u2019t get my hopes up about finding one myself. Though, ironically, he once found one on his own, without a dog. It had popped out of the ground, and he spotted it right away. (Black truffles grow just under the topsoil, unlike the others.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    After the truffle is carefully taken out, the person always covers the hole again, as if hiding treasure… and in a way, it really is. It\u2019s good not to leave clues for other truffle hunters, but more importantly, to prevent the soil around the tree roots \u2013 areas that have been specially prepared (inoculated) with bacterial spores \u2013 from drying out. Don\u2019t ask me for details, I\u2019m no expert, but I got the idea: this can help with the growth of black truffles. Unfortunately, not with white ones. That\u2019s why they\u2019re so valuable, because they grow wherever and whenever they feel like it…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDove?\u201d, \u201cCerca!\u201d, \u201cDai!\u201d \u2013 I hear the hunters calling out. There\u2019s a certain language the handlers use to encourage their dogs to search and to keep communicating throughout the hunt. Everyone has their own way, from \u201csearch!\u201d to \u201ccome on, tell me where, where?\u201d \u2013 hence Romanian Pepe\u2019s hit song too \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The two dogs run back and forth, searching, sniffing, finding something (or not), then running, searching, and sniffing again. Always guided from a distance by their handlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A truffle hunt can last an hour, an hour and a half. That\u2019s if you don\u2019t happen to have a battery-powered dog that can keep going longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the hunt, there are short breaks for the dog, when the handler gives it some treats or pets it a little, like \u201cwho\u2019s a good boy\u201d type stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    There are certain trees near which truffles grow: poplar, oak, linden, hazelnut, ash, and also around maritime pines \u2013 where truffles tend to grow bigger, but have less flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m curious which region in Italy is the most famous for truffles. I\u2019m telling you, but please don\u2019t go storming the place and leave me truffle-less!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s the area around the town of Alba<\/strong>, in Piedmont<\/strong> (between Turin and Genoa).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not important right now \u2013 we\u2019re in Tuscany<\/strong> and there are plenty of truffles here too, so I\u2019m not worried. Especially since we\u2019re on private land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Actually, truffle hunts can take place both on private and public land, the important thing is to know the terrain well and not cross into areas where you don\u2019t belong. Though unfortunately, some people still do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cHumans\u201d are among the top 3 enemies of truffles, the hunters tell us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first enemy is the<\/strong> wild boar<\/strong>, for reasons already explained above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next comes the human<\/strong>. I guess you could call that \u201cpoaching\u201d, I suppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And in third place, still on the podium, are mice<\/strong>. After finding a truffle and nibbling on it, they move underground, digging a tunnel. The dog smells the truffle where the mouse emerged, but in reality, the truffle is somewhere else… And so the dog is misled. Meanwhile, you\u2019re just standing there like a fool, dreaming about the truffle that\u2019ll get you into the Guinness Book of Records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    After an hour, we head back home with the day\u2019s \u201ccatch\u201d. We watched the truffle hunt, smelled them (still covered in dirt), found both white and black ones (even though black truffle season is pretty much over), and now we\u2019re following the two owners and their dogs back \u201chome\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Today\u2019s haul: 71 grams in total, a mix of white and black truffles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    LUNCH WITH TRUFFLES<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    From the shelves at the agritourism place, you\u2019re tempted by truffle products made right there \u201con the farm\u201d, which is a big deal! Truffle paste, whole truffles, truffle oil, white truffle butter. I feel like buying everything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Germans and I are waiting outside while lunch is being prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We exchange a few words. Me \u2013 frustrated that all I remember from German is Ich liebe dich<\/em> and a couple of lines from the Lorelei<\/em> poem… Them \u2013 curious about Romania and our fate, about which, to be honest, I can\u2019t say much even in Romanian \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    We stroll among the olive trees that are soon to be harvested, enjoying a peacefulness we\u2019ll surely miss once we’re back in the city and… \u201ca tavola!!!\u201d shout the Italian ladies who\u2019ve just finished preparing our delicious meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
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    Truffles in just about everything, except the Tiramisu, of course…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And fresh truffle, generously left on the table for anyone who wants to grate some more over their pasta. Me, obviously. Especially since I\u2019ve been acted like I knew all about the truffle grater \u2013 I bought one a few years ago. Which I\u2019ve now managed to cut myself with success haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I fill up my stomach, then my backpack with delicious goodies, and dash off to the station to catch the regional train to Florence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next time I\u2019m in the area, I\u2019m signing up for a tasting. Not of wine, no, but of olive oil<\/strong>, because that sounds interesting! And at least I know I\u2019ll be able to talk about it without being tipsy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I used to think truffles were candies. Really delicious ones, discovered in foreign countries in chocolate shops where I\u2019d have moved instantly if I could! I only found out that truffles are also mushrooms after I ate them, amazed by a taste I\u2019d never experienced before. Fresh truffle pasta, truffle cream pasta, truffle risotto, truffle butter on toast, truffle cream on crackers \u2013 oh my\u2026 my mouth is watering just remembering them! And, of course, I took pictures so I wouldn\u2019t forget: In Italy I ate truffles the most, and I must admit, I was shocked to find fresh truffles\u2026 guess where\u2026 at Obor Market in Bucharest! What?? That\u2019s how this country girl found out that truffles also grow on Romanian soil. Well, I paid 50 lei for a truffle the size of a marble\u2026 It was the biggest investment I ever made in something so small, and I still had to cook it \ud83d\ude42 ABOUT TRUFFLES The ones I\u2019ve most often come across in restaurants and shops are summer black truffles. But I found out there are many varieties of truffles \u2013 18 or maybe even more! Still, 4 of them are better known: Summer black truffles cost around 400 euros per kilogram, while white truffles cost… brace yourselves\u2026 around 3,500 euros per kilogram!!! So you have a choice: a kilo of white truffles or a car. The huge cost of the white truffle comes from its more intense, lingering flavor compared to the others, and therefore it\u2019s more appreciated. Also, very importantly: it\u2019s rare! It requires special soil, rainfall, etc. About 2-3 years ago, at the Mercato Centrale in Florence, I almost felt like I needed a ticket \u2013 it was like a truffle exhibition right in front of me. In every possible form. There was even one shaped like\u2026 a rock, because those people had tried to recreate a giant white truffle that had been sold years earlier at a charity auction. The price? 330,000 dollars!!! It’s already in the Guinness Book of Records! TRUFFLE HUNTING Last year, during a filming project in Transylvania, I had the chance to go on a mini truffle hunt. That\u2019s when I learned a few more things beyond what I\u2019d quickly read online. But most of the information I\u2019ve gathered now, during a truffle hunt in Tuscany, where I took part as a very eager tourist. I took the regional train from Florence and, after 40 minutes plus another 15 by car, on an off-road ride that shook every internal organ, I arrived at Il Poggio alle Ville. A \u201cfarm stay\u201d with everything you need for a super peaceful vacation, far from the hustle and bustle of touristy cities. They even have a small chapel, which I thought was really cool! It\u2019s a chilly late October morning. I enter the old building that serves as the dining room \u2013 a tall building filled with vintage kitchen tools from grandma\u2019s days, olive oil pressing machines worthy of a museum, photos, old maps, and so much more. A woman lights the fire in the fireplace. Then she gets to work making pasta, so that after the hunt, the hungry tourists can enjoy freshly cooked food! I\u2019m picked up, along with a small group of Germans, by the owner himself, Raffaele. I had an \u201cin\u201d, since Raffaele is the husband of my former college classmate, Ioana, who got me into the truffle hunting crew on short notice. I had wanted to take part for a long time, especially since I knew truffle hunting can be done all year round, as there are different varieties that appear in different seasons. I just never managed to catch the right moment. Also, you can\u2019t just show up whenever you feel like it. For the harvest to be good, the weather has to help \u2013 a balance of rain and sunny days. If there\u2019s too much water, the truffles rot underground; if there\u2019s too much drought, they\u2019re scarce and dry. Apparently, that\u2019s the situation this year. Unlike 2017, which I hear was a truly exceptional year for truffles. People like me, who showed up in summer shoes, are given some lovely rubber boots. At least they gave me the freedom to wander through leaves and dry branches without worry. We’re introduced to the dogs we’ll be hunting with: the first is Leo, the owner\u2019s dog, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Lagotto Romagnolo, currently in training for truffle hunting. The second dog, brought by his owner, is named Scimmia and is a riccia sanminiatese (a breed typical of the San Miniato area in Pisa \u2013 also rich in truffles). I wonder\u2026 could our local street dogs become truffle hunters? That would be something… In theory, any dog can be trained to find truffles, I\u2019m told. However, there are breeds that are easier to train for this task. Like the ones of the two dogs we\u2019re hunting with today. I learn some surprising stories: apparently, there are people who start training dogs right from birth. They rub truffle butter on the nipples of nursing females, so the puppies associate the smell and taste with feeding from a very early age \u2013 and later on, it\u2019s easier for them to recognize it. Wild, right? Alright then! Off we go on our truffle hunt!!! Yuhuuu!!! I\u2019m so excited, you\u2019d think I\u2019m the one going to dig for them in the trees, not the dogs! I just hope we don\u2019t come face to face with a wild boar, because boars are the best truffle hunters. And eaters… For wild boars, truffle hunting is a necessity \u2013 they do it to feed themselves. For dogs, it\u2019s more like a game. A race in which they\u2019re rewarded with biscuits by their owner. The special pouch on the owner\u2019s outfit is like a magical spot the dog always returns to after finding a truffle. But things aren\u2019t that simple. In my mind, I thought you\u2019d train a dog, he goes, finds the truffle, and brings it back like in a game of fetch. But no. The dog\u2019s handler has to always keep a close eye on the dog. As soon as the dog finds a truffle, the handler needs to stop him from digging too much with his paws, or even eating it, because, believe it or not, dogs like truffles too. Thus, the moment a dog shows signs of having found a truffle, scratching at the ground with its paws, the handler stops it, goes to that spot, and starts digging very carefully, using a special little spade. Even the human has to be careful how they dig, so they don\u2019t ruin the truffle. A partially damaged truffle \u2013 by the dog or by the tool \u2013 loses a lot of its market value! A truffle is like an iceberg, Raffaele tells us. You see the tip, but you don\u2019t know what\u2019s underneath, so you have to be careful not to destroy it. I watch the dogs searching, sniffing not just around the tree trunks, but farther out, and that confuses me. I learn that truffles grow around tree roots, not just at the base of the trunk like I thought. So if the roots spread far, truffles can grow there too, farther from the tree. You\u2019ll probably say I\u2019m crazy, but I really want to find a truffle all by myself. Is it that hard??? I search around the base of the trees, nothing. I see some roots, I go there too. Still nothing. Well, there was something, but honestly, I wouldn\u2019t have found it. Leo came over and immediately smelled that a truffle was hidden there! A white one! So I wouldn\u2019t feel like a total failure at this truffle business, Raffaele tells me that dogs\u2019 sense of smell is 500 times stronger than ours! So maybe I shouldn\u2019t get my hopes up about finding one myself. Though, ironically, he once found one on his own, without a dog. It had popped out of the ground, and he spotted it right away. (Black truffles grow just under the topsoil, unlike the others.) After the truffle is carefully taken out, the person always covers the hole again, as if hiding treasure… and in a way, it really is. It\u2019s good not to leave clues for other truffle hunters, but more importantly, to prevent the soil around the tree roots \u2013 areas that have been specially prepared (inoculated) with bacterial spores \u2013 from drying out. Don\u2019t ask me for details, I\u2019m no expert, but I got the idea: this can help with the growth of black truffles. Unfortunately, not with white ones. That\u2019s why they\u2019re so valuable, because they grow wherever and whenever they feel like it… \u201cDove?\u201d, \u201cCerca!\u201d, \u201cDai!\u201d \u2013 I hear the hunters calling out. There\u2019s a certain language the handlers use to encourage their dogs to search and to keep communicating throughout the hunt. Everyone has their own way, from \u201csearch!\u201d to \u201ccome on, tell me where, where?\u201d \u2013 hence Romanian Pepe\u2019s hit song too \ud83d\ude42 The two dogs run back and forth, searching, sniffing, finding something (or not), then running, searching, and sniffing again. Always guided from a distance by their handlers. A truffle hunt can last an hour, an hour and a half. That\u2019s if you don\u2019t happen to have a battery-powered dog that can keep going longer. During the hunt, there are short breaks for the dog, when the handler gives it some treats or pets it a little, like \u201cwho\u2019s a good boy\u201d type stuff. There are certain trees near which truffles grow: poplar, oak, linden, hazelnut, ash, and also around maritime pines \u2013 where truffles tend to grow bigger, but have less flavor. I\u2019m curious which region in Italy is the most famous for truffles. I\u2019m telling you, but please don\u2019t go storming the place and leave me truffle-less! It\u2019s the area around the town of Alba, in Piedmont (between Turin and Genoa). Not important right now \u2013 we\u2019re in Tuscany and there are plenty of truffles here too, so I\u2019m not worried. Especially since we\u2019re on private land. Actually, truffle hunts can take place both on private and public land, the important thing is to know the terrain well and not cross into areas where you don\u2019t belong. Though unfortunately, some people still do. \u201cHumans\u201d are among the top 3 enemies of truffles, the hunters tell us. The first enemy is the wild boar, for reasons already explained above. Next comes the human. I guess you could call that \u201cpoaching\u201d, I suppose. And in third place, still on the podium, are mice. After finding a truffle and nibbling on it, they move underground, digging a tunnel. The dog smells the truffle where the mouse emerged, but in reality, the truffle is somewhere else… And so the dog is misled. Meanwhile, you\u2019re just standing there like a fool, dreaming about the truffle that\u2019ll get you into the Guinness Book of Records. After an hour, we head back home with the day\u2019s \u201ccatch\u201d. We watched the truffle hunt, smelled them (still covered in dirt), found both white and black ones (even though black truffle season is pretty much over), and now we\u2019re following the two owners and their dogs back \u201chome\u201d. Today\u2019s haul: 71 grams in total, a mix of white and black truffles. LUNCH WITH TRUFFLES From the shelves at the agritourism place, you\u2019re tempted by truffle products made right there \u201con the farm\u201d, which is a big deal! Truffle paste, whole truffles, truffle oil, white truffle butter. I feel like buying everything! The Germans and I are waiting outside while lunch is being prepared. We exchange a few words. Me \u2013 frustrated that all I remember from German is Ich liebe dich and a couple of lines from the Lorelei poem… Them \u2013 curious about Romania and our fate, about which, to be honest, I can\u2019t say much even in Romanian \ud83d\ude42 We stroll among the olive trees that are soon to be harvested, enjoying a peacefulness we\u2019ll surely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1165,1169,1166,27,26,775,1162,1159,1160,1168,673,662,1163,629,20,664,1089,785,1172,1171,1154,1156,1173,1164,1155,1167,1158,1170],"class_list":["post-5392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-calatorii","tag-agroturism","tag-black-truffle","tag-caini-vanatori","tag-calator-singur","tag-calatorii","tag-calatorii-in-pandemie","tag-despre-trufe","tag-experiente","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-with-dogs","tag-italia","tag-italy","tag-tipuri-de-trufe","tag-toscana","tag-travel","tag-travel-guide","tag-travelling","tag-travelling-in-pandemic","tag-trufa-alba","tag-trufa-neagra","tag-trufe","tag-truffle","tag-truffle-infos","tag-truffle-types","tag-tuscany","tag-vanatoare-cu-caini","tag-vanatoare-de-trufe","tag-white-truffle","main-post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ro","en"],"languages":{"ro":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5392"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5392"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10307,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5392\/revisions\/10307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}