Where to go for truffles for the LangheThe truffle is your passion and you can’t wait to personally try your hand at finding the renowned white truffle of Alba? The Langhe is a fantastic area for brown mushroom lovers, and the forests of the Langa and Roero are the perfect place to explore in search of treasures!

Looking for truffles is not only a tourist experience but a true immersion in the natural treasures of the Piedmont region. Truffle hunting is a true art, and therefore requires some experience to reap considerable results; nevertheless, no one prohibits us from trying to search for the renowned truffle! Professional truffle hunters take a special course to learn how to search for the precious fungus without damaging the environment, how to use the truffle hunter’s spade, how to cover the area in which they are digging with soil, which truffles not to collect because they are damaged or not yet ripe. From a ruined truffle, in fact, spores can escape that will promote the emergence of new truffles the following year. Also needed is a trained dog to act as a guide who can track down the “Tuber magnatum” (the Latin name for truffle).

Truffle hunting in the Langhe: where to find them

The white truffle of Alba grows in a large region of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato hills, located in southern Piedmont between Asti and Alessandria. In particular, in the hills of the Monferrato astigiano and alessandrino and in those of the Roero north of Alba, as the wooded areas still allow its existence.

It is no coincidence that the hills of Langhe and Roero are a UNESCO heritage site, which describes these territories as <<An outstanding living testimony to the historical tradition of grape growing, winemaking processes, and a social, rural context and economic fabric based on wine culture>>

What are you waiting for to delve into this bewitching territory that smells of must, hazelnuts and of course truffles? The tuber grows copiously near hazelnut groves, on hillsides, among vineyards and lozenges, and is one of its most irresistible products. Not for nothing has the prestigious Alba International White Truffle Fair been held since ’29.
To delve into the woods of the Langhe in search of truffles, it is best to wear clothing appropriate for an outing through the woods, wearing leggings or boots to move easily through the woods. Rubber boots can be used to overcome any muddy or slippery terrain.

Where to look for truffles in the Langhe

Truffles are sought in the woods at the base of the trunk of trees (especially hornbeams, hazels and oaks). The ideal time to look for white and hooked truffles is from October to December. From January to March, on the other hand, the brumale truffle thrives, whose harvesting period may intersect with that of the marzuolo truffle.

Truffles are fungi that grow underground and relate to certain plants (symbionts) that can only grow with special soils and conditions. Truffle dogs such as the English pointer, German pointer and hunting dogs have an excellent sense of smell trained to search for the tuber magnatum. The prized white truffle thrives in gently sloping soils with sandy, limestone and clay characteristics. They grow particularly near oaks, poplars, black and eastern hornbeams, and black pines.
Black truffles thrive in sunny, warm soils rich in crushed stone and calcium, particularly in the vicinity of turkey oak, hazel, rockrose and hornbeam. The hooked and summer truffles, on the other hand, approach white and black hornbeams, oaks, beeches, cedars, and limes, and choose limestone and clay soils without water accumulation, below 1,600 meters.
Soils in which truffles are born are called truffle beds, which can be natural or artificial: in the latter, mycorrhized plants are used where the truffle spores are already attached to the roots, leading to the birth of new truffles.

Two types of truffle can be found in the Langhe: the white Alba truffle (Tuber Magnatum Pico) and the black (“scorzone”), in its two versions Tuber Melanosporum and Tuber Albidum.
The white truffle is definitely rare and expensive while the latter is definitely within reach of any wallet, and is successfully applied in flavoring traditional Piedmontese dishes. The distinction is also in appearance. The white truffle has a vaguely irregular, flattened shape and can be really large; the black truffle has branching veins. White truffles mature with the early cold weather.

Truffle hunting (sapin in the local dialect) is strictly regulated by law and possible only at certain times of the year, under severe penalties.
Black truffles can be searched for all months of the year except during the period between mid-March and mid-May; white Alba truffles, on the other hand, can only be searched for during the period from October to December.
How to search for truffles in the Langhe
It is not easy to find by ourselves the places in which our luscious mushrooms are hidden. Licensed truffle hunters (trilufau) are in charge of guiding tourists to discover truffles, to areas where they know they can be found.

Philip together with his beloved Dori, ready to search for precious truffles

Typically, truffle hunting excursions are associated with the presence of a dog whose formidable sense of smell is the perfect ally for discovering these food delicacies. Typically, experienced trilufau move at night, to allow the dogs to focus on the smells of the place (or not to reveal the location of their secret reserves!).

The Tabui-as the hound is called in the vernacular-sniffs the spaces between the trees in search of the characteristic scent, which cannot escape its trained sense of smell. White truffles can be found on the ground near pines, poplars and oaks, or near streams where the ground slopes into valleys.

The dog then locates the location of the truffle and begins to dig: the companion proceeds to hoe and make a hole and extract that fragrant natural tastiness from the ground.

Once we have collected our treasure, we can allocate it to different dishes depending on the variety. White truffles can honor tasty portions of egg pasta; black truffles can be added to a tartar of Fassona meat to mellow it out. But truffles can also be a great ally for breaking mid-day hunger, and for example, enriching a simple slice of bread to make it irresistible.Subscribe to Tour in Vespa NewsRemain updated on the launch of new tours and exclusive promotions: you’ll receive valuable tips for experiencing TourinVespa at its best!Subscribe to Tour in Vespa NewsRemain updated on the launch of new tours and exclusive promotions: you’ll receive valuable tips for experiencing TourinVespa at its best!