In Zigante Tartufi the best truffles are selected
When you close your eyes and smell a white truffle, your sense of smell inevitably takes you to two places: Piedmont, in Italy, and Istria, in Croatia . This last country is where we travel. The landscape of the north of the country is a beautiful network of narrow roads, winding through hills, overlooking the sea. On top of these mounds rise villages with reddish roofs and, on both sides of the road, the land seems to possess a hair of perfectly combed vines. When you go down to the sea, it looks like another Croatia, that of the fishing villages that climb the slopes, looking for the best view of the coast. They are so similar to Venice… and it is not surprising, history unites both countries, and from that past remains alive, even today, a language (Italian is the second language after Croatian), an architecture and structure of the towns , a pantry of sea and orchard that reminds us of Italian cupboards... and also truffles, huge and delicious truffles.
We go to the mountainous heart of Istria to do what is appropriate in these winter months, which is to go and collect truffles in the motuvum forest , near Buzet . Going into that miraculous jungle is doing it in a beauty of oaks, of floors carpeted by virgin undergrowth, that's why proper clothing is required: hiking boots, coat and mosquito repellent. From early in the morning you can accompany a truffle hunter, with patience and encouragement, getting rid of mosquito bites and letting yourself be guided by the howling of the dogs, they really know where the good things are in this forest! They are essential for a good truffle hunter: the dogs, the digging shovel (called suvadilica), the truffle hunter's license and a lot of patience.
The task of finding a good piece of truffle is not easy, but dreaming of the illusion of repeating the feat of Mr. Giancarlo Zigante , who years ago found a truffle weighing 1.31 kilograms in this forest; what it earned him, not only to enter the Guinness Book of Records , but also to set up an emporium of restaurants and shops in the North of Croatia whose star product is, obviously, the truffle.
The mother house of Mr. Zigante's restoration is located in the town of Livade , about thirty minutes by car from Buje, and bears the name of Giant Tartuffe . It is a restaurant with stone walls, lampposts that illuminate a large room with tables dressed in elegant white linen tablecloths and stately chairs, a large kitchen, impeccable service and a menu with a great protagonist: the truffle.
I repeat that the italian influence It's huge in the north of Croatia, that's why it's common to find good pasta; In any self-respecting restaurant there will always be a chef who prepares fresh pasta for lunch and dinner every morning. The Istrian Fusi or the gnocchi with white truffle that are prepared in this restaurant, but also the careful salads seasoned with truffle oil... Nothing is saved from the aroma of the king product: meat, fish and even desserts have slices of truffle.
As a note, it is convenient to know that during the winter, next to the Zigante restaurant in Livade, there is one of the most important truffle markets in the country . The collectors come to Livade, with its marvelous truffles, to participate in a raffle of almost millions, the bidding of restaurateurs and gourmets, for the most valuable white or black piece. For those of you who are satisfied with just looking, I recommend you at least try a little bit of the mega tortilla that they prepare outdoors, which is obviously made with truffles, which they call Fritaja.
Restaurateurs and gourmets seek the most valuable truffle
CURIOUS NOTES :
To the truffle dogs they are educated, from puppies, giving them pieces of truffle as a prize, when they reach a year of life they have, for sure, the most refined sense of smell to find, in the Croatian hells, the valued truffles.
To pick truffles in the country you have to have the truffle meat , which costs about 150 euros, and lasts 10 years. From then on, the search and collection of truffles is free –only for those of the land- and as well as their sale.