2014—Truffe

Friday, near the tiny medievalvillage of Grignan, we met Emy, an adorable Lagotto Romagnolo dog that is well-know for its ability to root out truffles from among the roots of oak trees, both deciduous and evergreen. We also met Serge, Emy’s owner who waxed ectatic about black and white truffles and the trials and tribulations of being a truffle farmer. I know truffles are a fungus that grows among oak trees but I didn’t realize that oak tree roots produce truffles for only a relatively short period and that truffle farmers plant rows of various oak trees that show promise to produce the oak root fungus. Here are a few shots of Serge, their truffle farm (including a shot of a “no trespassing” sign to deter truffle thieves, and Emy in action. I didn’t realize that truffle farmers plant their oak trees in rows. The oaks take close to 15 years to start producing truffles (if they are lucky) and then produce for no more than 20 years.