The Truffle Hunter

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Welcome to Le Marche

A Big Welcome

“Ciao, ragazzi! Seguitemi!”

This was the phrase that welcomed us to the beautiful, northern region of Marche, Italy. My husband and I had been waiting in our rental car at the bottom of the village. It was our first time in Le Marche. The rain was more of a mist and there was a fog over the village making the street lamps glow with a haze around them. It was sooo quiet.

Out of nowhere, a small car arrived next to us. There he was. Wide-eyed and smiling. “Hello, guys! Follow me!”

Flavio led us through a typical countryside drive just outside of the village. We twisted and turned following the narrow gravel road as we climbed in elevation. We needed a guide to find our accommodations. Especially at night.

We were able to settle into the cozy, stone farmhouse. It was equipped with all we needed: a small kitchen, a large, stone fireplace with a small couch nearby. Down the iron, spiral staircase, you find the comfortable bedroom equipped with a bathroom attached.

An Invitation

Like most Italians, Flavio immediately offered us his warmth and hospitality making himself available for anything we might need. We had heard that the area was well-known for its truffles and inquired about where to go truffle hunting. He invited us to spend a day with him going truffle hunting. It turned out that Flavio himself was a truffle hunter and had an amazing story.

Flavio’s Story

Spending a day hunting for truffles in the beautiful landscape of Le Marche, Italy was magical. It was an experience etched in our souls. More on that in a bit!

As the day unfolded, we learned all about Flavio’s story. Although he spoke English, we spent the day speaking in Italian hearing his story unfold in his heart language. Flavio shared with us a bit of history about his home.

The villa we were renting from him for the week had originally been a borgo (small village) up in the hills above the village of Piobbico. There were several houses attached together with barns and plenty of farmland. His grandfather had grown up in one of the houses and had spent his life farming the area. Flavio had memories of the countryside visiting his grandfather.

His grandfather had planted an orchard of oak trees for the purpose of growing truffles. Years later, his father added to the orchard and they continued to cultivate this precious area that is located in the perfect landscape and climate to grow truffles.

In his younger years, Flavio was working in the business arena and had moved up on the ladder of success. He had moved to Vancouver, Canada and was living in a sky rise apartment.

When retelling his story to us, Flavio said, “One day, I was there in my apartment looking over the city and I asked myself, ‘What am I doing here?’.”

He told us about how he was looking out over this big city, but all he could see in his mind, all he could think about, was being back home on his grandfather’s land.

He began to ask himself what he really wanted in life…

“I want a slow life.
I want a simple life.
I want to be in nature.”

He said, “it was right then that I made my choice.You make a choice and this was my choice.”

Flavio chose to return home to Italy. He gave up the city life for the simple, country life in the quiet region of Le Marche.

The Simple Life in Italy

What does life look like for Flavio now? We only saw a taste of what life is really like for him. However, as we spent the day exploring in his garden, hunting for truffles with his dog, and gathering around the table together, he shared his passion for the land.

It is clear to see when someone truly has a love for what they do. It’s contagious. Granted, I’ve always wanted to live in the Italian countryside. But after a day spent with Flavio, I was ready!

I wouldn’t say that he lives a glamorous life. He didn’t seem to be enamored by luxurious living or fancy things. Instead, he seemed contented. He was set on the fact that he had made his choice for a simple life and it was done. There wasn’t any going back. Only forward.

He wakes up each day, farms the land with his Lamborghini tractor, cultivates vegetables, saffron, and truffles. He hunts with his sweet dog, Isa. He works on restoring the old borgo room by room. He spends time with his ragazza and friends. He’s happy.

Truffle Hunting

An Unforgettable Experience

I love being out in nature and learning from the Italian way of life. The truffle hunting experience was a lot like the time we stumbled across mushroom hunters in the region of Abruzzo. There is so much to learn and savor from these unique and beautiful experiences.

The morning began with a simple, but beautiful walk along the gravel road (the same one we had driven in on the night of our arrival). Flavio, dressed in U.S. army cargo paints, brown leather boots, a silver bracelet around his wrist and truffle tools in hand was our guide. We continued on the path up higher into the hills.

The sun was glistening on the grass covered with the morning dew. The orchard of oak trees was vast and set along a steep hill with a forest of different kinds of trees along the edge. Isa was ready. This old truffle hunting dog was ready. This is what she was made for.

The Hunt

Isa (Isabella) was antsy. Her nose was sniffing on high speed. Flavio gave the command. She began sniffing with her nose to the ground. She walked briskly up and down and around the rows of trees. She was searching for her master.

Finally, she stopped. Paws to the ground, she began to dig faster and faster. Flavio hurried to her side and got close. He was waiting for just the right moment.

The moment came. When Flavio saw the bugs (a sign that the truffle is just below that level of soil), he stopped this smart girl, reached into his pocket, and gave her a treat. She had done well. Flavio used his truffle digging tool, better known as “ruscella.” He gently lifted the dirt being careful to not damage the truffle that he pulled from the terra.

A Meal With Italian Hospitality

After a morning of walking through the forest and the orchard, we had gathered enough black truffles to enjoy an amazing lunch and then some. We headed back to Flavio’s property with the house.

Flavio had converted an old barn made for sheep into a small kitchen. It was adorable and fit with an old stove and workspace large enough for any Italian to create a fabulous dish.

We sat at a table Flavio had made using an old wine barrel as a base with a piece of wood on top. He had also made the bar stools we sat in. He had dug out the floor to create a sunken space so that the room was tall enough to stand in as it was originally made for sheep to take cover from the cold.

Now the space had been transformed and was being used to serve us a delicious lunch made up of bruschetta with truffle and oil paired with cheeses, pickled onions, and red wine. We then ate scrambled eggs with grated truffle on top. I know it seems too simple, but yet it was the most amazing dish of scrambled eggs I’ve ever had.

Flavio served us with such hospitality and care. We ate and ate until we were satisfied. He then offered us espresso made with a touch of his favorite digestivo that had the classic, Italian flavor of liquirizia.

Una Bella Gente

What an experience. And it was * an * experience. It was the hunt. It was the farm to table food. It was Flavio’s story. It was his care and passion for what he does.

Experiences with people like Flavio remind me of why the Italian people have continued to capture my heart over the last 18 years when I first traveled to Italy. This truffle hunter was more than just a guide for us. He was more than just a wonderful host during our stay in his borgo that he continues to restore. He was a friend. He shared his time. He shared his story and his love for his beloved paese.

If you would like to know how you, too can visit Flavio and stay in his lovely, stone farmhouse, send me a message and I’ll put you in contact with him.

Marche and Its Truffles

Le Marche produces a very high percentage of the production of truffles throughout Italy. In fact, just a short drive from Flavio’s place is the town of Acqualagna, the truffle capital of Italy. We were hunting the black truffles during the autumn which is a fabulous time to go truffle hunting in this area. If you want to know more about truffle hunting in the region of Le Marche, this is a great resource.

If you want to watch a wonderful documentary about truffle hunting in Italy, here is one worth watching. It’s a beautiful film. Here’s the trailer.

Summary

I hope you make plans to visit this beautiful part of Italy and that you can experience these kinds of unique and authentic experiences with the Italian people.

It will perhaps leave you asking yourself some of the same questions Flavio asked himself that day in Canada. Who knows, you might end up creating your own piece of the simple and slow life in Italy as well.

xx
Sommer