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Truffle Hound

History

In Italy truffles are hunted by dogs, not pigs. What an uncommon satisfaction it is to set out on a crisp, fall morning, your own truffle hound at your side, who if he is anything like Friciulin (pictured above), upon being released from the mortifications of the dog-house to display his skills as a truffle hound, will begin by plunging into the dewy grass, rolling over to scratch his back against the fall field flowers in joyous anticipation of meandering through meadow and woodland snuffling for truffles. Certainly, at this moment, he is your best friend, avid to spend half a day scouring the countryside, nose to the ground the whole time, in search of a rare, pungent delicacy that you will hedonistically savour that evening and of which he will taste not a morsel, a piece of yesterday's bread his only reward.Two treats for the dog, an affectionate stroke, and the hunt continues. « Go on, Mirette, I've paid ya!». "You know , as long as the dog is trained at a young age, whatever the race, he will be efficient". Mr Jomar, however, has a preference for female dogs which he considers more stable, less volatile and more keen. But on this point also, everyone has their own opinion and they diverge. A Labrador, for example, is highly rated in the truffles field, thanks to its exceptional nose, whatever the weather.

White truffles have been called the "grey diamonds of Piemonte." They have been found nowhere else in the world, except in this northwestern province of Italy. They grow only wild; no one has yet found a way to cultivate them. Rarer and stronger in aroma and taste than the black truffle, the white truffle has a brief season from late September to Christmas. Once the ground freezes over the white truffle can no longer grow. Hounds, specially trained, hunt out the white truffle. A typical truffle hunt begins with the hunter unleashing his dog in the field to let him run loose.

The dog runs about, to and fro, nose to the ground, seeking out the scent of the truffle, sniffing with impressive zeal. Truffle hounds speak the Piemontese dialect, not Italian, and although they usually need no encouragement, their sniffing is traditionally accompanied by the truffle-hunter's oft-repeated: "Pei-la! Pei-la!" ("Go, get it! Go, get it!" in Piemontese). When the dog scents a truffle, which may lie anywhere from a few inches to two feet below the surface and vary in size from that of a bean to that of a melon, he begins to scratch the earth furiously. The hunter then leaps to the spot, removes the dog, digs up the truffle himself (if digging were left to the dog he would damage the truffle), and gratefully rewards the dog with a piece of bread.

Having cleaned the truffle of fresh earth, the hunter drops it into his truffle satchel and hunter and dog set out once again through field and forest in search of the next truffle. Barbetta maintains its own truffle-hunters and truffle-hounds in Piemonte. The truffles hunted by these dogs are flown to New York throughout the truffle season. Besides Fonduta con Tartufi, the great, classic Piemontese dish, white truffles are traditionally served over raw mushrooms, carne cruda, risotto alla Piemontese, ravioli, and game.

To gain experience about this mushroom , it is always possible to go "digging" with Mr Jomar, trufficulturist in Carpentras.
He fuels his passion on his 2 hectares of land in the company of his indispensable assistant, named Mirette. That's how he's baptised his dog, raised since a puppy to be a truffles hound. Mirette is now an old hand at it. When her master decks himself out with a pouch and a pickaxe, to essential tool for rooting out the truffles from its lair, she knows. Facing the wind, she sniffs the air as she wanders through the woods. First stop: Mirette paws once at the ground and sits, waiting for her master. He finishes the job with the pickaxe: " It's a small one, but it will do nicely!".

This is a dog specialised in finding truffles on any type of ground whatever, the only breed recognised as having this ability. It is an ancient breed for retrieving from water, known from the 16^th Century in the Comacchio valleys and the Ravenna lagoons, which became widely distributed as from the 19^th Century in the plains and hills of Romagna with the specific role of truffle hound. It is a typical aquatic dog, medium to small in size, mesomorphic and square built; its general appearance is stout, strong and well proportioned, making its capability for the job apparent. Its expression is attentive, intelligent and lively. While working it displays passion and efficiency, exploiting its innate ability for the search and its excellent sense of smell. The instinct for the chase has been eliminated, so that it is not distracted by game. It is affectionate and strongly attached to its master, making it also an excellent companion dog; it is highly trainable.

Faults Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note ** Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum