Croatia’s truffle hunters chase one of the World’s most expensive delicacies
In Croatia’s northwestern Istria region, truffle hunter Ivana Karlić Ban and her two dogs roam the golden autumn forests near Buzet in search of one of the world’s rarest and most valuable treasures — the white truffle.
Found only in Croatia and Italy, white truffles grow underground between September and December in symbiosis with specific trees. Using her specially trained Lagotto Romagnolo dogs, Karlić Ban can locate truffles buried as deep as one meter beneath the soil, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“The white truffle is very rare — its price can reach €6,000 to €7,000 per kilogram,” she said, noting that unlike black truffles, white truffles cannot be cultivated, making them even more precious.
Karlić Ban comes from a third-generation truffle-hunting family. Together with her brother, she runs a shop in the village of Paladini, near Buzet, selling a variety of truffle-based products — including the world’s first truffle chocolate and even truffle-flavored dog treats.
But the family business faces growing challenges. Karlić Ban says climate change and deforestation have sharply reduced the number of white truffles compared with her grandfather’s time.
“Harsh droughts stop the fungus from growing, while heavy rains make it rot,” she explained. “Their numbers have gone down, but the prices have gone up.”
Similar news
