Want more articles like this one?
You're in luck! We've got a weekly newsletter that's filled with goodness!

Wrap up each week on a positive note with our Today in Goodness newsletter featuring our top content from the week, goodness on the horizon, and good news from around the world. 

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Wrap up each week on a positive note with our Today in Goodness newsletter featuring our top content from the week, goodness on the horizon, and good news from around the world. 

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
View Collection
Image: Truffle with slices taken out of it

On the Hunt with Italy’s Truffle Dogs!

Tucked beneath layers of dirt, hidden from the world, lives a delicacy sought out by chefs and diners alike around the globe. But finding this delicious, rather pungent-smelling fungi, isn’t an easy task. It requires a special skillset—one that can be found in one of our favorite four-legged friends!

Whether shaved atop your pasta or stirred into your eggs, truffles are a treat whenever they come your way. But they can rack up quite the hefty price tag, costing thousands of dollars a pound. So what is it about these fungi that make them such a special, and pricey, delicacy?

We’re diving into the world of truffles to find out what’s going on behind the scenes with this mushroom. From their unique way of growing to the nose that sniffs them out and the people who call truffle country home, the only thing left to do after reading this article will be to find out how you can get your hands on some of these bumpy, flavorful treats. But you’ll have to be fast—they’re only around for a very small amount of time!

Image: Truffles with slices taken out of them
Source: Pixabay

The untamable fungi fruit, and those who find them.

While most mushrooms are quite good at hide-and-go-seek, truffles are arguably the best. Unlike a lot of their other fruiting friends that we may be more familiar with on our plates, truffles don’t rise out of the soil to spread their spores. Instead, they stay down in the dirt—what’s known as an ectomycorrhizal fungus.

This ground-dwelling nature, as you can probably imagine, makes them particularly difficult to find. Thankfully, they have quite a pungent smell and dogs, when trained correctly, are able to use their amazing sense of smell to uncover where these treasures are buried. (Fun fact: female pigs can also find truffles. They’re attracted to their odor because it’s similar to male pig pheromones! But it’s a bit more difficult to get her not to eat her finds than it is a dog, although they think it’s a tasty snack as well.) 1

Let’s meet one of these truffle-sniffing pups and their handler, shall we?

The relationship between a truffle hunter and their dog is a special one: for, without their dog, the hunter wouldn’t be in business! But this relationship goes far beyond just economical. See for yourself in this first video, where we head to the Marche region of Italy, the truffle center of the country, to meet one of these truffle hunters, his dog, and his dealer.

Huge thanks to our friends at The Perennial Plate for bringing this story to light!

Via: The Perennial Plate 2

You can find so many more beautiful films from The Perennial Plate over on their website, Vimeo, or by following them on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

When your local gems are prized throughout the world!

One of the pieces that surprised me the most in that video was the idea that those living around Marche have been eating truffles since they were kids, while the rest of the world spends thousands of dollars on them. It’s quite a testament to the power in local resources, isn’t it?

Check out these other places celebrating the one-of-a-kind bounty only their region can produce:

Travel to the Land Where Real Wasabi Grows!

Yes, it’s true, the “wasabi” you know is most likely not actually wasabi! We’re traveling into Japan to meet one of the people growing the real deal to learn more about the cultural impact of this product and why it’s so precious and pricey. It may remind us of a few of our own treasured treats!

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast
A Funny-Looking Clam That’s Saving Communities!

Can a clam help keep a culture alive? The impact the geoduck has had on the communities of the American Northwest goes even further, bringing together culinary experts, conservationists, and pallets around the globe! This intriguing mollusk is way more than just a delicacy on your plate!

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast
Olive Oil: Our Guide to Celebrating the Timeless Things

Take a moment to go on a journey with us to savor a flavor you probably have sitting in your kitchen cupboard! Who knew that that perfect opportunity to explore a food tradition that is thousands of years old started with a drizzle of our favorite oil.

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast

So, why are truffles so expensive?

That’s the question, isn’t it? What is it about these mushrooms that make them so sought after by chefs and patrons around the globe? So wanted, in fact, that people are willing to shell out thousands of dollars for their unique flavor?

This is more than a story about a sneaky mushroom. This next video from Vox does a deep dive to let us in on it. Take a look!

Via: Vox 3

Want to see more great content from Vox? Check out their entire YouTube Channel! And of course, give them a follow on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter to stay up to date with their work.

The truffle’s tale isn’t just about an addition to your pasta.

There are stories and lives wrapped around the food we see on menus, and the truffles’ is one of partnering with a fellow animal, working with the complexities of nature, and celebrating unique communities.

If you’d like to hear the tales of some other fungi, check out these articles from our library:

Meet the Ancient Superheroes Fighting Cancer, PTSD, Pollution, and Saving the Bees!

What if everything we need to solve many of our most vexing problems is growing, silently, all around us? Mushrooms are an unexplored powerhouse that could very well save the world! 

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast
Mushrooms are Saving Honeybee Colonies!

Mushrooms are saving the day for us yet again! Did you know that 70% of the fruits and vegetables we eat count on bees for pollination, and yet bee populations are plummeting? But the good news here is that some mushrooms have been found to have an ingenious property that allows them to defend the beehives!

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast
Mushrooms Could Start Replacing Leather, Bacon, and Styrofoam in the Next 5 Years

Have you ever tasted bacon made of fungi? Received a package cushioned by mushrooms? My guess is not yet… but probably soon! New York-based company Ecovative has created an alternative to plastic, which can save water, time, money, and the planet, too! 

Read Article Watch Video Listen to Podcast

Have you ever tried truffles? What’s your story? Share it with me in an email at [email protected]!

As always, stay open to possibilities!

  • Sam

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”—Albert Einstein

Don’t miss out on a single article!

Enjoy unlimited access to over 500 articles & podcast that give you a positive perspective on the state of the world and show you practical ways you can help.

Sign up now!

Notes:

  1. “Truffle | Fungus | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/science/truffle-fungus. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.
  2. The Perennial Plate. “The Truffle Hunters.” Vimeo, 19 Aug. 2013, vimeo.com/72657384. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.
  3. Vox. “Why Truffles Can Cost $2,500 per Pound.” YouTube, 15 June 2016, youtu.be/9gXXceSzL5E. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019. ‌
Image: Samantha Burns

Sam Burns

Former Editor-In-Chief

Sam wrote and edited hundreds of articles during her time on the Goodness Exchange team from 2016-2021. She wrote about topics from the wonders of nature to the organizations changing the world and the simple joys in life! Outside of the Goodness Exchange, she’s a part-time printmaker, collector of knick-knacks, and procurer of cheeses.

Join for as little as $5 per month

As a Member, you get instant access to unlimited good news, fresh ideas, and positive perspectives. Don't miss out on full access to articles, podcasts, videos, and curated playlists of our content, as well as our weekly newsletter, and access to our mobile app!

Become a Member

Follow Us

Positive news for curious people.

There is a wave of goodness and progress well underway, all around the world.