Finding Culinary Gold in Umbria, Italy

San Pietro a Pettine is a truffle farm 

with a restaurant

located in Umbria, Italy. 

My husband ready for hunting truffles. 

We arrived at the farm and were greeted by Sara 

who invited us to sit in the chapel with our fellow truffle hunters  

for an explanation of the farm and truffles.  

Then we met Bruno di Montalcino and his two dogs 

for truffle hunting. 

Truffles grow beneath the roots of trees, 

thus the need for a dog to sniff them out. 

Where's My Treat?

These specially trained dogs only find truffles that are ready to harvest. 

Bruno rewards his dogs for each truffle found. 

A Truffle is Found! 

In 2019 the Italian white truffle was selling for over $4000.00 per pound retail 

while its summer black truffle counterpart was about half the cost! 

I guess that's why I never had eaten truffles before.  

Today's Harvest.

Truffles are expensive because they are not cultivated like other farm foods 

and the crop is dependent on environmental conditions that need to be just right. 

During their season, they need to be found daily by specially trained dogs. 

And finally, they are only good at most 7-10 days. 

The restaurant. 

I had farm fresh truffles for the first time here 

with a 5 course meal 

of which 4 courses featured the summer tubers. 

I loved them. 

An appetizer featuring truffles on toast.  Delicious. 

Apparently people experience the taste of truffles differently. 

I found them to be nutty in flavor. 

A perfect ending to a perfectly delicious meal. 

In Italy we had truffles a few times 

each experience was delicious. 

Click here to view more photos of the truffle experience.