It is an adventure of a particular kind. Searching for treasures with a determined canine as a guide amidst a thick Tuscan forest in a humid morning mist. The catch on the radar is a persistently aromatic and flavourful subterranean fungus called Tartufo Bianco – White Truffle. Ancient Romans called the truffles “the food of the gods” and the “miracle of the earth,” attributing them, among others, strong aphrodisiac powers. Thanks to this reputation, the truffles were deemed “devilish” by the church in the Middle Ages, only to emerge in the 21st century as one of the most wanted ingredients on the plate for the world’s top chefs and gourmets alike. The truffle hunting and gourmet tours with Massimo Cucchiara, one of the most seasoned experts in this part of Italy, are a great introduction to the fascinating truffle universe.

While the Piedmont region in the Northwest of Italy is traditionally considered the mecca of truffle trade and tourism, Tuscany has recently gained momentum as the new epicenter of this industry. The precious nuggets grow plentifully there, thanks to the verdant, mineral-rich soil and mild climate. Besides, while up North, the truffle season focuses on just a few fall months, in Tuscany, it lasts throughout the entire year. The demand boosts supply with international tourism picking up post-pandemic and sophisticated travelers more interested in hands-on outdoor activities. Many luxury hotels and private businesses in the area offer top-notch truffle hunting experiences, with gourmet feasts afterward. Truffle in Tuscany is one of the well-established companies in the area organizing hunting experiences for groups and individual tourists all year round. The owner Massimo Cucchiara is a native of San Miniato, one of the most truffle-abundant areas of Tuscany, and a tartufaio – truffle hunter – in the third generation.

Truffles are rare and extremely difficult to farm. This makes them some of the world’s most expensive foods. Out of the 63 truffle varieties worldwide, the Italian White is the most valuable of all, with a market price of up to €4,000 per kilo. The woods around San Miniato, a small medieval town in the Arno Valley between Florence, Pisa, Siena, and Lucca, are one of the places rich in these earthy gems. San Miniato is also home to purportedly the world’s most giant truffle, found here in 1954. It weighed a little more than two kilos – a bronze statue in the town’s central piazza commemorates the event.

While out on the hunt, Massimo Cucchiara is eager to tell stories like these. For nearly ten years, Cucchiara’s father, Salvatore, was vice-president of the Truffle Hunters Association of Tuscany and, for another nine years, the vice-president of the Truffle Hunters Association of Italy. The tartufaio is also keen on sharing ways to tell a genuine product from an inferior one sprayed with an artificial aroma. “We are extremely lucky to have some of the best truffles in the world,” he says.

Pepe, a mix of springer spaniel and setter, trots around the woods between oaks, ashes, and elms. He’s sniffing here and there, his nose close to the sandy terrain, ready to sift out their quarry. The precious fungus is not elusive to this furry hunter. Not before long, he starts wagging his tail wildly, having caught the scent. More sniffing and the dog begins rummaging the earth inch by inch. His owner Massimo kneels to unearth the find, pulling a small hand shovel from his belt, while Pepe gets praise and a treat.

The remarkably fertile Tuscan countryside boasts four different seasons for truffles. White truffle season lasts from October to late December or early January. The black winter truffle grows from December to March, and the black summer truffle is in season from May to September. Before, it used to be the pigs, not hounds, to root for truffles. But even though those creatures sport an extraordinary sense of smell, they’ve been legally banned from truffle hunting since the 1970s. The pigs damaged the trees’ roots and the ground’s ecosystem too much. They were also challenging to manage, often devouring their aromatic finds right away. 

With Tuscany becoming a prime truffle tourism destination, many luxury properties there have also started offering unmissable experiences for the truffle-savvy gastronomes. At COMO Castello del Nero, located in the heart of Chianti, travelers join professional hunters on the hotel’s enormous estate for a crash course in the art of truffle hunting. Just like San Miniato, this is another especially fertile terrain featuring three types of black truffles. After the hunt, the hotel’s executive chef treats the guests to a lunch or dinner enhanced by freshly rooted “diamonds of nature.”

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco Hotel in the middle of Val d’Orcia Natural Park and Brunello di Montalcino wine-making region, organizes truffle hunting in this stunning UNESCO-listed countryside. It is followed by a wine tasting with Brunello di Montalcino at one of the family-owned local wineries.

Hotel Savoy, a Rocco Forte hotel in the center of Florence, has recently introduced the world’s first Truffle Concierge. Turin-born Giulio Benuzzi is a member of the Tuscan truffle association and a former manager of Milan’s iconic restaurant, e Api. After hunting in the woods with his faithful hounds, Giulio brings the guests to his country house in Bagno a Ripoli. The visitors enjoy an extravagant meal there paired with songs about the regional delicacy and the charismatic host’s stories of leading truffle-hunting excursions on such TV shows as Top Chef and The Bachelor. All dishes are strictly homemade in the kitchen of the family’s old oil mill.

Based on demand, San Miniato’s Massimo Cucchiara’s tours also culminate with a flavourful four-course lunch of tagliolini al tartufo, veal carpaccio, and risotto paired with the sparkling white from a reputed local winery. Tagliolini, a freshly prepared homemade pasta, carpaccio of Tuscan Chianina beef, and other dishes are always topped with San Miniato white truffle shavings. Food enthusiasts can also embark on a cooking class taught by Chef Gilberto Rossi from Pepenero restaurant. One of the top Michelin-listed eateries in the area, it offers refined Italian cuisine based on the best seasonal ingredients, including, of course, fresh truffles.

The rising popularity of truffle hunting tours is part of the immersive tourism trend when travellers get to interact with locals like Massimo Cucchiara from Truffle in Tuscany and learn first-hand about the region’s history and traditions. And since truffles grow only in the wild habitat, hunting with a tartufaio becomes a uniquely immersive experience. It’s an opportunity to understand the laws of nature and ways to protect the biodiversity of the local flora, spending an unforgettable day in one of the most scenic countrysides in the world.