Truffle Hunting in Le Périgord
The Aynault family have been foraging for truffles in Péchalifour, this oak tree planted property just outside the Village of St, Cyprien since 1950. Edouard Aynault caught the fever and now travels the word spreading the mythology and assisting farmers as far away as the San Francisco Bay Area who wish to launch a truffle business. It takes 10-15 years for a tree to produce “fruit” so it is truly a business for dreamers and “crazy” people.
Our visit began with a discussion of the state of the industry and the inferior product being produced in China that turns off the uninformed to the delights of the “black diamond.”
Monsieur Aynault produced a basket covered with a cloth towel and challenged us to identify the woodsy aroma. It was betarave–imagine the aroma emanating from your refrigerator when you leave cooked beets inside. Now it was time to hunt.
Truffles grow around oak trees and do best in chalky,limestone soil. A trick to identify a tree that will produce truffles is to notice burnt earth in a circle around the trunk.
To successfully locate your truffles you will need either a female pig or dog who can sniff around the tree and reveal what lies beneath the soil. In our case we were assisted by, Farah as in Fawcett, who received a treat for each discovery.
Edouard et Carole Aynaud-Humblet - Tel +33 (0) 5 53 29 20 44 - Port +33 (0) 6 79 02 48 02 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.