One of the most sought-after delicacies of Italy is the truffle. We are fortunate enough to be in truffle producing regions on many of our Italy cycling tours and walking adventures, be it central Italy in Umbria or the northern regions of the Veneto or Piedmont. The use of truffles in all of these regions is quite similar, sharing the philosophy that the star of the show is the truffle, and keeping the rest of the dish simple to let the deep, earthy flavor of the truffle shine through.
Truffles are a form of fungi, and so are related to mushrooms, as well as yeasts and molds. Truffles are ectomycorrhizal fungi, a fancy name which refers to fungi that grow in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of a plant. In the case of truffles, this is beech, birch, hazel, hornbeam, oak, pine, and poplar trees. Truffles can only thrive in the very particular soil conditions that exists in this forest environment. Each fungus will produce one truffle per year, with the ‘terroir’ – the soil type, tree, and local climate – providing a distinctive aroma and flavor to each truffle.
The scarcity of truffles is due in part to its need for this very specific growing environment, as well as its difficulty to find – it grows completely underground. They are foraged by trifolau, or truffle hunters, who keep their hunting grounds a closely held secret. They are assisted by a trained pig or dog, whose keen sense of smell helps the trifolau locate the truffles. A pig was the animal traditionally employed, as they will naturally seek out truffles, but they naturally seek them because they like to eat them, which can cause problems when they find one. It is said that you can spot a truffle hunter that still uses pigs because he is missing a few fingers. Today trifolau typically use trained dogs.
A reputable trifolau will then carefully excavate the truffle, in order to preserve its environment so he/she can return next year to find another in its place. Poachers do double damage when they steal a truffle, both to the pocketbook of the reputable trifolau, as well as destroying the spore so it will not produce again.
Here is a very classic recipe for truffles found all over Italy, Tagliolini with Truffle. This recipe is translated from Italian, from “La Cucina del Veneto” by Morganti.
Tagliolini con il Tartufo
Serves 4
4 ounces butter
1 small black or summer truffle, brushed clean and sliced very thin, or coarsely grated
1 pound good quality tagliolini (or tagliatelle or fettucine, if you cannot find tagliolini, as I had to do)
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley or chives
Grana cheese, grated
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the truffle. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, then turn off and keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt well. Cook the tagliolini until just al dente, then drain and add quickly to the pan with butter flavored with truffles. Sprinkle with fine chopped parsley or chives and serve in individual serving dishes. Garnish with grated Grana.
The original recipe recommended pairing with a Bardolino Classico.
Our culinary experiences on our
Branzino is a species of fish commonly found in peschiera, or fish mongers, in the Veneto. Also referred to as European seabass, or Mediterranean seabass, it is a a member of the Moronidae family, also known as “temperate basses” as they can flourish in a wide range of temperatures. They are found on both sides of the North Atlantic, over here in the US we have the freshwater species white bass and yellow bass, and the coastal striped bass (Morone saxatilis) or “striper”.
Branzino (plural branzini) is the name of the fish in Northern Italy; in other parts of Italy, it is called spigola or ragno. In France, the fish is called bar commun along the Atlantic, loup de mer on the Mediterranean. It is often farmed, making it fairly easy to find even here in the US. They range in size from 1 to 1.5 pounds, and are sold whole. My fishmonger in Italy will scale and clean it for me, ask yours to do the same.
To select a whole fish, check for:
Branzino al Forno con Patate, Pomodoro, e Olive
This July, we began a private walking tour in the magical city of Venice. Famous for its canals, the Republic of Venice has a fascinating history as a major maritime and economic power for hundreds of years. Exploring the history, and understanding how it plays a role today in the culture and cuisine of the area is always part of our experience.
We joined Alessandra and Elena from the Pecatti di Gola cooking school to prepare some traditional dishes of the Veneto. Sarde in Saor is a classic Venetian dish, dating back to the 13th century. This was a fisherman’s dish, fried sardines preserved in a marinade of sauteed onion. It could last for several days (without refrigeration then), and onions are high in Vitamin C, very important for avoiding scurvy.
Our visit to Venice had just missed one of Venice’s favorite festivals, the Festa del Redentore, or Redeemer’s Feast, a two day celebration held annually the third weekend of July. This feast dates back to 1577 to celebrate the end of an outbreak of the plague, and Venice marked the occasion by hiring renowned architect Andrea Palladio to build a church on the waterfront of the Canale della Guidecca. Known as the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore, this landmark contains a number of paintings by artists including Veronese and Tintoretto.
On the Saturday, the residents of Venice decorate boats and terraces, and haul long tables out to the Piazzas to prepare for a night of festivities. A massive fireworks display is the highlight, with people gathering on boats and in the squares, watching the impressive show reflecting off of the waters of lagoon while feasting on traditional dishes like Sarde in Saor.
Here is the recipe for Sarde in Saor from Peccati di Gola, with a few additional instructions from me. Enjoy a room temperature with a glass of prosecco.
On a 
Asiago has an official Italian DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) designation. The only ‘official’ Asiago is produced in this area, near the town of Asiago. Asiago’s authentic production process dates back to the year 1000, when the cheese was made with ewe’s milk. It became an important market for cheese in the early 1500s, when a large amount of woodlands in the area were converted to pasture and mountain farms. We followed a trail that wraps along a ridgeline affording us amazing views of the plains of the Veneto, passing by several traditional malghe that still today produce Asiago by these time-honored methods.
Traditionally made Asiago is referred to as Asiago d’Allevo, or matured Asiago. Asiago d’alleva is made from raw milk from Pezzata Nero and Bruno Alpina cows, Milk from the evening milking is allowed to stand overnight, then it is skimmed and combined with milk from the morning milking, which is not skimmed. Coagulation occurs at 35°C, then the soft curd is broken up and cooked twice, once at 40°C and then next at 47°C. The cooked curds are transferred into molds, and the rounds are either dry salted or wet salted in brine baths before maturing. Asiago is referred to as mezzano if it has matured for at least 3 months, and is referred to as vecchio if it has matured for a minimum of nine months. Stravecchio is aged even longer.
The outer rind is thin, and becomes increasing brown as it matures. The inner cheese is white, semi-hard, with an even texture. The vecchio or stravecchio versions may be used for grating as the body becomes harder. The cheese also develops a fuller flavor and fragrance as it matures.
The following recipe I’ve translated from Italian, and replaced the rabbit with something a bit easier to locate in the US – pork tenderloin. Use Asiago Mezzano for this recipe, also often called “Dolce” in Italy, as the younger aged cheese is a bit sweeter than its elder siblings.
Filetto di Maiale con Spumone di Asiago Dolce
We ran our 
We joined Michael to learn to cook some of Sudtirol’s favorite local dishes, and a few Italian classics – this season’s menu included Gnocchi di Patate alle “Checca”, potato gnocchi with a fresh tomato sauce, Vitello Tonnato, Canederli Pusteresi su Insalata di Capucci e Rucola, and Apple Strudel. I’ll be writing articles on all of these over the winter back in my home kitchen.
