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Market show of the White Truffle of San Miniato (Pisa)
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The white truffles of central Italy are one of the most esteemed varieties and a rare and renowned product.
It is to these special truffles that a market exhibition is dedicated each year. It is held in the middle of autumn at San Miniato, in the province of Pisa, a town which in the last three weeks of November transforms itself into an open-air tasting laboratory: around Piazza Duomo the stalls play host to the prized tuber whilst kiosks offer samples of the local specialities. 3,500 collectors and truffle associations from the area take part in the event which lures passionate fans of truffle-based cuisine.
Known since Medieval times, the white truffle of San Miniato has a history that is full of curious stories. In 1954, for example, the largest truffle ever found, a scented tuber weighing 2,520g, was donated to the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. The hills of San Miniato have also earned themselves the leadership in terms of quality: a success that results from care and respect for the environment where the truffles are picked.
For over one hundred years, the search has been coordinated by family groups known as "tartufai" or truffle hunters. The secrets are handed down though the generations, and each family knows where to lead their trained truffle dogs along the paths that lead through forests of oaks, poplars and holm oaks. From these areas, the truffles of San Miniato are taken and placed on a commercial circuit that takes them to the tables of the best restaurants in the world. |
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The municipalities involved in producing white truffles include the numerous villages of the Val d'Egola, such as Corazzano, La Serra and Balconevisi. Here, the Tuber Magnatum Pico, or "Food of the lords and gods", grows near poplars, linden trees, oaks and willows in moist, calcareous soils. Amongst other, the truffle with the most persistent perfume which preserves its characteristics longest is the one grown in contact with an oak, whilst the truffle that has grown at the base of a linden tree is lighter and more aromatic.
The climate has a great deal of bearing on the quality of the product. In order to reach maturation, the tuber, located up to half a metre down, requires at least two periods of plentiful rain- between April-May and October-November- separated by a fresh and humid summer, only to then be collected between October and the end of December.
The San Miniato truffle is generally about the size of a walnut, although exceptional examples that reach up to 500g are not rare. The smooth and velvety rind has a yellowy-ochre shading whilst the flesh is hazelnut in colour with numerous streaks. In cooking, truffles should be used raw, slicing them with a truffle slicer onto risottos, tagliatelle and meat dishes.
The white truffle hunting season continues until January when the marzuolo, a tuber of lesser quality, comes into play. This variety, too, is the focus of an event held every March in Cigoli, near San Miniato: the first market show featuring the summer truffle. |
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Invaluable and irreplaceable, the truffle dog forages amongst the undergrowth until it finds its precious bounty. The search is followed carefully by the truffle hunters, who always note the position, moon phase and characteristics of the truffle so they can trace it the following year.
The lagotto is considered to be the truffle dog par excellence. This curly-haired breed has thick and woolly fur, whilst its hunting instinct is relatively undeveloped, making it ideal for hunting for tubers.
So-called haystack dogs are also considered to be good truffle hunters; these cross-breeds are the result of hundreds of cross-breedings. Reared in the courtyards of the truffle hunters, these animals adore the truffle tuber with its strong odour, hence their high probability of becoming excellent hunters and diggers.
In order to develop their aptitude to the full, the dogs are subjected to severe training. Indeed they have to learn to recognise the small of the prized tuber without biting it. To this end, truffle hunters use training techniques that involve rewards for each find, and the puppies work alongside more expert dogs. If the hunt is to be successful, both dog and owner must be a solid team; a synergy that forms the basis of every truffle-hunter's dream to dig up the tuber that wins fame for its weight, shape and perfume. |
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 Market Show of the White Truffle
When: 12/13, 19/29, 26/27 November 2005 Where: San Miniato (Pisa)
Info: San Miniato Tourist Office, Piazza del Popolo 3, 56027 San Miniato (Pisa)
Tel: +39.0571.42745 - 418739
Contact: www.cittadisanminiato.it
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