Search for black truffles with dogs in the Alto Maestrazgo de Castellón
Do you know that the black truffle, this mushroom that is considered as a jewel of gastronomy, be "cultivate«?
That is, regardless of whether the truffle can develop naturally if the land has the right conditions, nowadays farmers prepare large areas of land that they properly care to facilitate their collection.
I recognize that I did not know this until my recent journey through the High Maestrazgo from Castellón, one of the few areas in Spain where you can find black truffle.
I didn't know either Demetrio, the farmer we visited in BenasasalWhen I was young, I saw that French and Catalans walked with dogs through the mountains. Initially he thought they were hunting, but seeing that they did not carry weapons, he discovered that they were actually looking for a very special tuber known as truffle with the help of dogs.
Search for black truffles with dogs in the Alto Maestrazgo de Castellón
From that moment Demetrio and other farmers in this region of Ports they learned the trade of growing truffles and then collecting them with trained dogs.
The black truffle It has always been much appreciated by the French. In fact it is also known as perigord truffle.
If you have not seen it live, it looks like a tuber, but black. With a peculiar and very intense smell, in sheets or disintegrated it provides a very appreciated aroma for gastronomic elaborations.
Search for black truffles with dogs in the Alto Maestrazgo de Castellón
For the development of truffles Limestone terrain, of a certain height, is needed that is not too cold or too hot.
This fungus is born underground attached to the roots of certain trees, specifically, holm oaks (known as carrascas in High Mastership), but also in oaks and almond trees. Therefore, the farmers prepare the land by planting these trees in rows with some distance, so that around them they can sunbathe.
How to look for truffles with truffle dog
In the visit to Demetrio we had the opportunity to live the curious experience of how black truffles are sought with the so-called truffle dogs.
The current ex-partner of Demetrio She's a beautiful bitch Moreta. The truffle collection It takes place in the mountains of Castellón from November to March.
He truffle dog He goes through the ground looking for the smell of the truffle that is characteristic of his nose. When you locate a place where there are truffles, which indicates starting to open a hole with its legs, Demetrio Complete the work with the help of a shovel.
The truth is that it is not easy to recognize the truffle as you remove the earth, for which a certain trade is needed.
In the field where truffles have been found, they will not reappear until about two years later. And in one day it is usually collected more or less half a kilo.
Black truffles from the Alto Maestrazgo de Castellón
Then it is time to sell the truffles, around which there is a not very transparent market. Demetrio he tells us that in Benassal Farmers usually sell them on Thursday nights at a bar where vendors and distributors who buy them match.
The current price of black truffles for the farmer is 350 and 500 euros per kilo. For the final consumer it is double.
To see how is the search for black truffle with dog, do not miss the video Accompanying this topic.
Another opportunity to see it live is the Mostra of the Black Truffle of Castellón which is celebrated every year in early February in one of the villages of the region of Ports-Maestrat, during which a truffle dog contest is held.
Black truffles from the Alto Maestrazgo de Castellón
