Truffles: The Gold of Istria
Slovenia and Croatia share the idyllic peninsula known since the Roman times as Istria. However, local residents were not aware of the “black diamonds” beneath the forest until the period between the two World Wars, when Italian engineers noticed the terrain was similar to the truffle-producing parts of Italy.
Istria produces both black and white truffles, depending on the time of year. The white truffles found in the winter are one of the world’s most expensive foods, fetching up to 2500 euros per kilogram according to RTV Slovenia. The more common and less expensive black truffles are found in the summer.
Truffles are a fungus that grows underground in symbiosis with tree roots, but the process is random. Not every tree is truffle-friendly. Farmers around the world have experimented with planting trees likely to generate truffles and the results have been mixed. For now, chefs in Slovenia either import truffles or depend on a few locally active truffle hunters like Sara to track them down.
Please visit us: https://www.sloveniaeat.com/day-trips-truffle-hunting-experience/
