The Hunt for Black Truffles Beneath the Summer Soils of the Sibillini Mountain National Park

Food experts and culinary enthusiasts the world over will know exactly what the fertile soils of Europe have to offer at this time of year. Between the months of May and September, deep in the dark soils beneath the oak, chestnut, beech, willow and pine trees, the summer black truffles are swelling, maturing and ready to be unearthed! To the unappreciating eye, black truffles look very much like small potatoes that got caught in a bar brawl… and lost. With their highly pitted and rough exteriors and smouldering dark coloured skins, these members of the fungus family are one of the most highly sought after ingredients in gourmet cooking.

Because of their scarcity, delicious nutty-bordering on sweet flavours and heady aromas, black truffles (and other seasonal and colour varieties) fetch a high price on the market. Having said this, summer truffles – more subtly flavoured than the winter variety – are far more affordable! The black truffles that are growing this very season are considered by many to be the superior kind of truffle harvested in summer. Although they are lighter and less pungent in flavour, they display a heady, earthier aroma than the winter truffles and are sought after for their subtle sweetness and hint of garlic flavour. These characteristics unique to summer black truffles are the main reasons for their popularity and with summer having arrived in Europe, gourmet restaurants and food enthusiasts all over the world are desperately trying to get their hands on the first delectable findings.

The Sibillini Mountain National Park provides the best environment and soils for the natural growth of black truffles. Hunting parties complete with sniffing dogs are plunging into the thick of the forests; scouring the earth for the pungent aromas of veritable culinary diamonds that lie beneath the fertile soils. Locating black truffles is a process requiring extreme patience. Even when one is discovered by the excited snuffling and digging of a dog, a truffle hunter will hold their breath, hoping for a mature and decently sized prize. With renewed appreciation for the process of finding these culinary treasures, the summer black truffles are now available for order online!