In ancient Greek, the philosopher Plutarch attributed the formation of truffle, a mysterious miraculous product of nature, which was born and grows without roots, to the combined action of water, heat and lightning.

 

 

 

In Roman time truffle was considered the “food of Gods”.

The Roman poet Juvenal attributed the birth of the truffle to a lightning bolt hurled by Jupiter near an oak tree, a tree that was sacred to the lord of the gods.

This link with Jupiter, a character who in myths shines for a prodigious sexual activity, prompted the physician Galen to affirm that the truffle possesses aphrodisiac qualities

 

The Culinary use of the truffle becomes more consistent from the Renaissance onwards.

It is known that in the eighteenth-century, truffles from the Italian Northern region of Piedimonte were appreciated to the point that the Savoy (a ruling dynasty of Italy) used them as a "diplomatic gift", sending them to all European courts.

 

Nowadays

 

In Italy it is always possible to collect truffles, except during late April.

Up until 1958 the harvest was carried out using a piglet. The problem with pigs was that they are greedy for truffles, it was necessary to hold them back all the time. While hunting, they were also damaging the surrounding environment, therefore their use is now prohibited by law.

Since then, only properly trained dogs are used in Italy. The most known breed is the Lagotto Romagnolo, although a small mongrel is generally chosen.

 

On December 16, 2021 truffle hunting and extraction in Italy, officially entered the list of UNESCO as intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity.