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Hunting truffles in Tuscany
Without a doubt, one of my favourite food experiences of 2025 was truffle hunting in Tuscany.
I was in Florence for a month attending cooking school, and it didn’t take long to realise I needed to get out into the countryside. For any food lover, Tuscany isn’t just about wine and olive oil, it’s truffle territory. So I started looking for the most authentic experience I could find and booked a weekend in the Tuscan hills.
We spent two incredible days exploring small towns, driving through rolling landscapes, and eating our way through the region. But of course, the day of the actual truffle hunt came with heavy rain and stormy weather. Not exactly ideal.
We briefly looked into rescheduling or finding an alternative, but everything was fully booked (and I mean fully booked). So we decided to wait it out and hope for the best.
The morning came, grey skies, light rain, not promising. Still, we got in the car and drove about 45 minutes into the countryside to a family-run estate where the experience was taking place. No one was entirely sure if we’d be able to go into the woods, but somehow… we did.
The experience
The day was divided into three parts: a pasta workshop, truffle hunting, and lunch.
We started with the pasta-making class, set up on a terrace overlooking the Tuscan hills. Even with the cloudy weather, it was stunning. We made fresh tagliatelle from scratch - flour, eggs, kneading, rolling, cutting - the full process. Simple, but deeply satisfying.
Then came the part I had been waiting for: the truffle hunt.
Into the woods
We met our truffle hunter, and most importantly, our truffle hunter dog.
Truffle hunting in Italy is still largely done with trained dogs (pigs were historically used, but they tend to eat the truffles & be aggressive, which isn’t ideal). The most famous breed is the Lagotto Romagnolo, the only dog breed specifically recognised for truffle hunting, but in reality, many breeds can be trained.
The key is scent. Dogs are trained from a very young age to associate the smell of truffles with reward. And here’s something I didn’t know: they’re not “working” out of obedience, they genuinely love the smell. If left alone, they would happily eat every truffle they find.
We walked into the forest and spent about an hour searching for black truffles. Watching the dog work was fascinating: focused, fast, and suddenly very still when it caught a scent. Then digging, carefully guided by the handler to avoid damaging the truffle.
A quick guide to truffles
There are two main types of truffles you’ll hear about in Tuscany:
Black truffles (Tuber melanosporum): more common, milder in flavour, and found during winter months. These are the ones most experiences focus on.
White truffles (Tuber magnatum): rarer, far more expensive, and incredibly aromatic. They’re typically found in autumn, especially in regions like Piedmont, although parts of Tuscany also produce them.
Truffles grow underground, usually near the roots of specific trees like oak, hazelnut, and poplar. The soil composition, climate, and ecosystem all need to be just right, which is why truffle locations are often closely guarded secrets.
And yes, there is competition. Truffle hunters rarely reveal their spots, and in some areas, it can get surprisingly serious, even agressive.
The reward: lunch
After the hunt, we headed back to the house for what can only be described as a full Tuscan feast.
Everything revolved around truffles: fresh eggs topped with shaved truffle, salami and local cheeses, toasted bread with truffle honey, and of course, our homemade tagliatelle finished with generous amounts of freshly grated truffle.
Add local wine, a long table, and that post-rain countryside smell, and it turned into one of those meals you don’t forget.
By the time we drove back to Florence, the skies had cleared.
And honestly, the rain almost made the whole experience better, quieter forests, fewer people, and that feeling of having earned it a little more.
If you’re ever in Tuscany and even remotely into food, don’t skip this. It’s not just about truffles, it’s about understanding the land, the traditions, and the people behind one of the most prized ingredients in the world.
Easily one of the best food experiences I’ve had.
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This is not your regular food tour.
It’s a tasting experience of Lisbon, told through the dishes, artisans, and traditions that shape the city. If you travel to understand how locals live, what they cherish, and the flavors that define them, this experience was created for you.
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⏱️ +/- 4 hours | 10 stops
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