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The truffle is a rare gastronomic delicacy, and it has even been described as the "food of kings". Truffles have been used since very ancient times, there is evidence that Sumerians mixed them with vegetables, the Greeks and Romans used them, but its origins remained a mystery until present days. It is now known that the truffle is an underground fungus that grows in calcareous and clayey terrain in symbiosis with the roots of trees such as oak, linden, poplar and willow.

Its color, aroma and flavor are determinate by the type of tree near which it grows. Hidden underground, the truffles remain odourless until it is fully grown. Only then does it begin to emanate the strong odour that attracts animals.

It is hard to describe its unmistakable flavor, many people remind of fermented cheese or methane gas.

Truffles are kind of ecological early warning device, because it tends not to grow in polluted environments.

San Miniato

San Miniato is a small town in the province of Pisa, one of the main white truffle areas. The largest truffle ever found, weighing 250 grams, came from these parts. But the area’s truffle primacy is above all a question of quality, due not only to the fertility of the woods but also to the fact that they are gathered so as not to damage the environment. This takes place between September and December, using specially trained dogs and a few implement.

The truffle hunting dates back in the Middle Ages, and now is strictly regulated by regional laws.

In the squares and streets of the San Miniato, during the last weekend of November, there is a very colorful festival in their honor, with dozens of stalls selling truffles of every shape and size.

For more information visit

• Comune di San Miniato