Are you into tasty, super healthy, sky-high expensive, and a rare luxury gift of nature? These are just some descriptions of the marvellous aromatic mushrooms – truffles. One of the exclusive fine dining elements is nature’s little secret, praised also by the antic Romans for their alluring aroma and aphrodisiac properties.
As we know, Italy is the largest European truffle producer. Truffles are literally one of the most precious ingredients in the culinary world – the cost for a pound of white truffles can be $2,000 and beyond. That’s because they are extremely difficult to locate and only grow near the roots of certain trees and in a particular type of soil. Luckily, Slovenia is also home to these diamonds of gastronomy.
You are invited to a nature experience – the truffle hunting in the Slovenian part of Istria. Istria is a Slovenian-Croatian idyllic Tuscany-like peninsula situated in the north Adriatic. The hunting season for black truffles is in the summer and for the white truffles in the wintertime. Truffles are so special and hence expensive because it is very hard to cultivate them. Besides their need for specific soil and tree roots where they grow, you can’t plant truffle seeds in a field as they grow wherever they please.
The first-hand adventure of truffle hunting is located in the Istrian forest in the Slovenian countryside near Koper, an hour drive from Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. Truffle hunting is available all-year-round and now you can join one of the experts and their dog companion on a truffle hunting expedition. The guide’s dogs are trained from their early days witnessing their truffle-sniffing skills at work is truly amazing.
Did you know that back in the day, pigs were used to search for truffles, but they had a nasty habit of eating them as quickly as they found them? As you can imagine, there was a lot of money going down the drain, so dogs came on the scene. Since the pigs failed half of the job, specially trained dogs took their place and became professional truffle hunters.
On a Truffle hunting trip, you will learn about truffles and the way they’re harvested. You will enjoy the hike in the beautiful in a small group of truffle enthusiasts of 8 persons. Highlights of truffle hunting in Slovenia. During the relaxing trip, you will experience some nature’s highlights and take part in a wonderful tradition. Truffle hunting time is flexible and can be set upon reservation when you will receive also the detailed location information and what to bring. It’s recommended to wear comfortable clothes and sports shoes or hiking boots since you will be walking through forest trails. The hunting is especially suitable for anyone who enjoys the outdoors and wants to learn something new about the world’s most exquisite mushroom.
Let the truffle hunt begin!
