Special 10% discount available on Tours! Contact for more info!Â
I have always been very keen on truffles! This is one of the most interesting and wonderful food items in the world. Truffles are some of the very well-known food items in the world, ranging from affordable chemical-made truffle-flavoured chips to a pipping plate of pasta with fresh white truffles shaved over its table side. The use of truffles is endless. There are two main countries of truffles, Italy and Croatia! Seeing that I am travelling to Croatia, I certainly couldn’t miss learning more about these. The Croatian home of truffles is found in the Istrian peninsula. This is one of the most well-known regions for truffles where some of the most prized truffles are found. It is one of two places where you can get white truffles. I went to Karlic Tartufi in the Buzet region for a hunt. It is roughly about a 3 hours drive from Zagreb.
Buzet
I had some time earlier and stopped by Buzet. This small hilltop town is known as the Truffle Capital. It is on top of a little hill and overlooks the valley. Nothing much but worth a stroll.
Karlic Tartufi
The Karlić family from Paladini near Buzet was established last century by Mr Ivan Rašpolić, in 1966. They are currently run by Ivana and Ivan. I am very thankful to be invited and hosted by Ivana the CEO to visit them and check out the truffles. They are the most well-known company in the region and one of the largest with both commercial products and family-run tours. Hunting experiences are carried out throughout the year and it is conducted in small groups which will allow for the best experience for guests to know more about the truffle world, truffle history, truffle hunting and truffle gastronomy.
I spent some time exploring the place and visiting the shop where you can get all sorts of truffle products. You can also see where the dogs are. They currently have 12 truffle hunting dogs. The place is gorgeous and you can find it overlooking the beautiful centuries-old forest. The timing of your visit determines what kind of truffles you get. At the point of my visit, it is the Black Summer Truffles.
We got their afternoon tour at 2pm. There is a total of 10 of us. Parking is readily available opposite the estate. It might be full but you can simply park by the side without blocking anyone else way.
Truffle Tour
We first start the tour with a welcome and some truffle-infused red wine liqueur! It is everything truffles over here. We were then given some information about truffles and the Karlic Family. They are one of the most established tour companies in the area. They started in 1966 with a Maltese from a family friend. They do not have the most number of hunting dogs. In the early 90s, they have 20 plus puppies where they train for the hunt and to sell. Now, they only train for in-house use. Training a truffle hunting dog can take up to 2 to 4 years and it can cost anywhere between 5000 to 10000 euros for a hunting dog. The 4 main breeds used here are the Lagotto, Labradors, Cocker Spaniel and Dalmatian.
Black truffles are found throughout the entire year and around the world. The profiles are just different. Summer ones are milder while the winter ones have a more prominent scent. White truffles are seasonal and only available for 4 months. These are also the more prized ones and are only found in specific regions of Croatia and Italy. We also learnt a little about the Croatian history of truffles. It was discovered by accident and the locals thought that they were potatoes. They then boiled it and realised they had a weird smell. As such, they were fed to the pigs. Soon, the Italians begin buying from them without telling them the truth. It was only discovered to be prized by the help of a Croatian cleaning lady who worked in Italy.
The black truffle needs more sun while the white one needs a flatter surface. The complexity of the forest makes it challenging for the dog and the hunt. Black truffles are found a few cm in the ground while the white can be a few meters deep. It might take around 10 mins on average to hunt for a black truffle as compared to an hour for the elusive white. This is the reason why the white is more expensive. The white truffles cost around 1500 to 5000 euros per kg. The price is around 3500 last year. We also saw a picture of the largest white truffle Karlic Tartufi found. It weighs 1kg and 50g! this is estimated to take around 15 to 20 years to grow. I tried asking about the price but it is a secret and sold to Dubai.
While pigs are naturally attracted to truffles, they are used in the hunt here in Croatia. Dogs are easier to transport, more intelligent, easier to control and less dangerous. Fresh truffles expire in 10 days and must be shipped out worldwide as soon as possible if a restaurant wants to use them fresh. This is also part of the reason why they are so expensive. Around 70-80% in this area are female dogs as they are easier to control.
Truffle Hunt
We were then introduced to our truffle hunter Filip, a local from the area. He has been hunting for truffles since 6 and went solo at 16. We got Lily and Gica to join us on the hunt and they will be doing the sniffing! We can choose to drive or walk down the hill to the ground where the hunt will be conducted. Filip also brief us on some rules to follow during the hunt such as not petting the dogs or touching them before they find any truffles.
We went to a plantation that is 12 years old where truffles are found after 7 years. After walking for a little Lily found a truffle and you can see Filip immediately sprang into action and rush over. This is to pull the dog away and prevent them from eating the truffle. Truffle hunting can be dangerous. Filip also shows us a specialised tool called Okka which hunters use on the hunt to dig for truffles.
We will have to dig very carefully around the spot and slowly extricate the truffle. This is to prevent damaging it. Damaged truffle lose their value. After digging, we will cover up the hold as it is likely another truffle will be in the same spot again.
We then spend more time in the forest trying to find more truffles. We got excited when Lily seemed to find one more. However, this is a red truffle or a wild truffle. This can’t be eaten by humans and will cause diarrhoea. It is used to train hunting dogs.
3 Course Truffle Tasting
After an hour of hunting, we sadly did not find any more truffles. We retreated to the estate for a tasting of the truffles. This is the highlight of the entire tour. I love the restaurant decor and design. The huge glass panels bring in so much natural light and views of the surrounding area. You can even see Motovun.
We started with a platter of treats. This consists of some spreads, cheese and salami. All of them are made in-house and infused with truffles. We were also offered truffle honey and freshly baked bread. This is accompanied by red wine, white wine, sparkling water and still water. Karlic products are sold in 35 countries around the world, including Singapore!
We then had a cooking demo where scrambled eggs were made from scratch. Truffles are best with simple dishes. I love the set-up here as you can join the chef tableside or watch the huge screen from your seat. We started with some truffle butter and grated lots of truffles into it. This is slowly cooked over low heat and finished with some parmigiano reggiano.
A generous amount of truffles is then shaved over it! How amazing is this!
It is time for desserts and we are still going to have truffles. The chef made us Fritule, a kind of traditional Croatian fritters. They are then stuffed with plenty of white or dark chocolate infused with chocolates. We can also drizzle truffle honey over them.
Conclusion
Without saying, this is hands down one of the best, if not the top 3 travelling experiences I had in the world. I am glad to have the opportunity to undertake this experience and chalk it off my bucket list. I appreciate Ivana for the invitation. I have always been intrigued and excited by the making of local produce and would like to have the opportunity during my travels to learn more and gain insight. I am glad to add this as part of my culinary experience which includes visiting Champagne houses in Reims, the Sake Distillery in Kobe and Whisky Distillery in Scotland. I can’t wait to do another truffle tour the next time during the white truffle season or when I am in Italy. With truffle done, perhaps caviar next?
This is a hosted media visit by Karlic Tartufi
One thought
Comments are closed.