There is a special moment in an Istrian home, usually early in the morning, when the scent of freshly brewed espresso mixes with that intense, almost intoxicating scent that wafts from a wicker basket in the corner of the room. It is the scent of earth, the roots of an old oak tree, and something inexplicably precious. For us at Tartufa Istria, that scent is not a luxury – it has been a signature of our everyday lives since the 1950s.
Becoming a truffle hunter in Istria is not just a matter of craft; it is a calling that requires the patience of a mountaineer, the sense of a detective, and the heart of a child who rejoices at every hidden treasure. If you have ever wondered what it takes to step into the Motovun Forest and find your first “Istrian gold,” let me pour you a glass of Malvasia and tell you what that journey actually looks like.
Step One: A Dog, Not a Man, Picks Truffles
Forget about the images of pigs running through the forest. In modern Istria, your best friend and only true ally is a dog. Being a truffle hunter means, first and foremost, being a top guide and friend to your dog. Although breeds like the Lagotto Romagnolo have an innate affinity, any dog with a good nose and a willingness to work can become a master.
Training begins through play. In the Bartolić family, we teach our puppies from the first weeks. First, we rub the scent of truffles on their mother’s nipples, and later we hide pieces of truffles in the yard. The key is in the reward. A dog does not look for a truffle because it wants to eat it (although this also happens to the inexperienced!), but because it knows that at the end its favorite treat and your immense praise await it.
Knowing the terrain: Reading a map of the Motovun Forest
Once you have a trained dog, the next challenge is knowing where to take it. The Motovun Forest is the heart of the world’s truffle hunting, but it does not reveal its secrets to everyone. Every serious truffle hunter has his or her “posts” – secret places that are passed down from generation to generation in families like ours.
You have to learn to distinguish between trees. The white truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico) prefers to sleep at the roots of oak, poplar or willow in damp, lowland areas along the Mirna River. On the other hand, the black truffle is somewhat less picky and can be found on sunnier slopes and in symbiosis with hazelnuts or hornbeams.
Seasonality – nature’s calendar
Being a truffle hunter means living in harmony with the seasons:
Autumn and winter: It’s time for the “king” – the white truffle. It’s the most expensive, the most intense and requires the most luck.
Spring and summer: The season of the black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum). Less demanding, but wonderfully fragrant, ideal for summer pasta
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Tools and technique: The art of digging
When your dog starts frantically scratching the ground, adrenaline rushes. This is the moment that separates the amateur from the professional. A true truffle hunter never uses an ordinary shovel. We use an otka – a special small shovel with which the soil is carefully moved.
The goal is to extract the truffle intact. One scratch on a white truffle can halve its market value. But that is not the only reason. You have to be careful not to damage the mycelium (root of the fungus) in the soil, so that a new lump can grow in the same place the following year. After extraction, the hole must be filled in. This is the basic ethics of every Istrian truffle hunter.
Here you can buy fresh truffles found by our dogs!
The challenges of the trade: Mud, darkness and patience
Many see only the glamour of an expensive dinner, but being a truffle hunter means being prepared for hours of walking through mud, thorns and often in the dark (so that the competition cannot see where you are going). The Bartolić family has been preserving the tradition of truffle hunting in Istria for decades, and believe me, there were days when we returned with empty bags and soaked to the skin. But that smell you smell when you finally touch a firm, fragrant lump underground… it erases all the fatigue.
How can you experience the life of a truffle hunter without decades of training?
I know that not everyone can have a trained dog and a secret map of the forests in their pocket. That’s why we at “Tartufa Istra” have decided to open our doors. We want to show you what one of our working days looks like. Not as a tourist show, but as a real entry into our world.
You may be wondering, what happens to the truffles after the hunt? The most beautiful ones go straight to your table, and the rest are transformed into delicacies based on our grandmothers’ recipes – from truffles to truffle honey.
Book a truffle hunt in Istria!
Become a part of the Istrian tradition
Becoming a truffle hunter is a journey that lasts a lifetime. It is an eternal game of outwitting nature and a deep connection with a dog. If you’re not ready for rubber boots and waking up at dawn, don’t worry – we’re here to do that part for you.
We invite you to visit us in our stores in Motovun, Poreč or Rovinj, where you can hear first-hand stories from the forest and taste what we’ve found. And if you’re feeling brave, book a truffle hunt via our website and join us in search of your first truffle. Maybe you’ll be the lucky one!
Your Bartolić family – Istrian truffles
