Truffle Hunting In Istria

Italy is well known for truffles, both black and white, yet did you know that truffles are also found in Croatia? Although truffles are found in various regions of Croatia, they are most famous in Istria, especially near the village of Motovun. During our time in Istria, during our two-week journey to Croatia, we ate a number of dishes flavored with shaved truffles, and also engaged in a truffle hunting expedition. 

In short, truffles are an edible fungi that grow underground, and are commonly divided into black and white truffles, although the actual color of the flesh of the truffle can vary. They are usually found in valleys and wooded areas, especially near watercourses. For many centuries, pigs were trained to sniff out and locate truffles. However, pigs also loved to eat truffles, and it could be very difficult to stop them from eating a truffle that they located. Over time, truffle hunters started to use dogs instead of pigs to find truffles. You might not realize that truffles have very little taste, and it is their smell which is actually the alluring aspect. 

The Motovun Forest, once called St. Mark's Forest, is famous for its white truffles. Most of the truffles found in the Motovun region, are first sent to Livade, a village known as the "Center of the Truffle World." In the late 1920s. the Croatian Truffle Institute, an independent scientific and research institution, was established in Livade, with the objective of promoting, preserving and scientifically studying the Croatian truffle. During the 1930s, the first commercial companies dealing in truffles were founded in Livade. Livade has retained its importance to the truffle trade.

  

We went on a brief truffle hunting expedition with Nikola Tarandek (pictured above), who runs his own truffle hunting business. A former civil engineer, Nikola eventually decided to retire and become a truffle hunter. He was very personable, a fine guide for our truffle hunt.

On the day of the hunt, Nikola had three dogs, all mutts, named Nero, Zero and Micki. He trained them at home, and stated it is best to start when they are puppies, when truffle can be placed on the mother's nipples. Eventually, they will be tossed items with a truffle smell, and then those items will be buried, so the dog will learn how to dig for them. The training period can range from weeks to years. Even though female dogs learn faster, Nikola believes the male dogs are best in the end. 

Nikola currently owns seven dogs, and noted that the older dogs help to train the younger ones. It is important to maintain control of the dogs as they too will eat truffles, and Nikola wants whole truffles, and not truffles that have been bitten and broken apart. The larger truffles garner the best prices, so when part of a truffle is uncovered, he has to be very careful when removing it, as you never know its size until it has been completely dug up. White truffles garner a price about 10 times as much as a black truffle. 

Sometimes, one dog might pass by a hidden truffle but another dog will find it. Truffles also seem to be usually found where mushrooms are not found. If you want to engage in truffle hunting on public land, you need a license. Nikola also believes it's important to cover up a truffle hole, as one never knows if another truffle might spawn from that place. Nikola sells truffles all over the world, as well as working with an agency in Hong Kong, especially to bring Chinese tourists on truffle hunts in Istria. 

In addition, he regaled us with a story of Nero, who he entered into a truffle hunting competition where the dogs had to find the most truffles. Nero came in last, checking each of the thirty holes, but that's because he is an extremely careful dog. And that is much better than speed. 

During the course of our hunt, the dogs went off, exploring the woods, sniffing for truffles, digging in the dirt a few times. We followed their general path, hoping they might uncover a truffle. However, in the end, the dogs didn't locate any truffles, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. 

On some other truffle hunts, they pre-bury truffles so a successful hunt is guaranteed. Nikola once engaged in this practice, but decided against it after a time. He wants the hunt to be more real, more authentic, and I agree with his sentiment. His groups have found truffles in the past, but we just weren't lucky on our trek. I would recommend Nikola Tarandek if you'd like a truffle hunt while you are in the Motovun region. 

SENA14: Chefs For Seals

There are few images that tug at your heart like a snow white, newborn harp seal. Unless you have ice in your veins, you feel moved by the vulnerability of that simple creature, of the expressiveness in its eyes. You probably want to cuddle it, holding it close to your chest, part of some innate desire to protect the young and innocent. Fortunately, it is illegal to hunt those precious baby seals.

Unfortunately, it is usually legal to hunt those seals when they are only two to four weeks old, once the seal has molted its white fur.

While at the Seafood Expo North America, I met with an exhibitor at the New England Food Show, though the topic involved fisheries and marine creatures. It also touched on issues of sustainability, global trade, government subsidies, NGOs and more. It serves as an object lesson for other seafood issues too.  

The Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) was trying to garner support against the Canadian Seal Hunt, as well as promoting their Chefs For Seals program and the free Protect Seals App. I was pleased that they were very specific in the type of seal hunts that they opposed, and they even offered a potential solution to help the fishermen involved in the trade. I also feel that this issue presents an excellent opportunity for a collaboration between the fishermen and conservation groups, one would could end up satisfying both parties. It is such collaborations which seem to be showing great potential in the seafood industry.

Their opposition is not to all seal hunts in Canada. They differentiate between two basic seal hunts, one by the indigenous Inuit and the other by more commercial fishermen. The HSUS does not want to stop the Inuit hunts, and believe they have the right to perform this ancient, cultural practice. However, they do want to stop the commercial hunt, that which is usually engaged in around Newfoundland.

In 2013, nearly 90,000 seals were killed by these commercial fishermen but not a single pound of seal meat found it way to market. Instead, the seals were killed only for their skins, and the rest of their bodies were discarded. This was discovered through information from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). HSUS is fervently opposed to this terribly wasteful practice, and they also do not believe that the economic benefits of the hunt are necessary. 

The DFO regulates the Canadian seal hunt, setting quotas, studying seal population, monitoring the hunt and more. Only 6000 seal licenses have been issued, though only about 850 of those people actually hunt. Each license costs only about $5, so it is not a large investment.  In recent years, the actual kills often have not reached the quota amounts, and it seems that the number of seals killed has decreased over the last five years, from 217,800 in 2008 down to 88,894 in 2013. Most of the hunting is done in late March and early April, so it should be starting soon, if it hasn't started already.

A significant reason for the decrease in seal kills is because the European Union banned the imports of seal products from Canada. In addition, there is only one local pelt buyer, NuTan Furs, and they would only purchase a smaller amount of pelts. Pelt prices have been decreasing. For example, in 2006, pelts were selling for about $97 but in 2013, the price had dropped to about $30. And many pelts are sitting unsold in a warehouse.

The average seal hunter earns less than 5% of their income from sealing, deriving 95% from commercial fishing. So for most of these sealers, it is not an economic necessity for them to hunt seals. And that portion of their income is continuing to decrease each year as markets for seal products dry up. That has led the government to provide subsidies to the industry, to help prop it up. Should they really be supporting what seems to be a dying industry? You would think the money would be better spent in another manner, while still protecting these fishermen.

HSUS believes that the solution is for the Canadian government to buyout the seal licenses, similar to what was once done with whaling licenses. A buyout would very likely be much cheaper than continuing to provide subsidies each year. There is no indication that the seal market is going to improve and it is much more likely that it will continue to decrease, earning sealers even less money per pelt. It seems like a logical response to this problem, however the government is unlikely to take the initiative. Instead, the sealers need to unite and push for a buyout. And I am sure conservation groups would fully support the sealers in this regard. Working together, the fishermen and the conservation groups could reach a satisfactory conclusion for all.

To place pressure on the Canadian government, Chefs For Seals, a boycott campaign has been launched. It is claimed that over 6500 restaurants and grocery stores, as well as over 800,000 individuals are currently participating in this boycott. HSUS has also recently launched the free Protect Seals App, which provides you a searchable list of the restaurants and grocery stores which have joined the boycott.

Each participant chooses their level of boycott, from all Canadian seafood to just seafood from Newfoundland, the center of the seal hunt. Some of the participants include Chefs such as Mario Batali, Cat Cora, and Scott Conant as well as stores from Whole Foods Market to Trader Joe's. Anthony Bourdain initially came out against the boycott though it appears his opposition was based on a failure to understand the actual HSUS position. For example, Bourdain failed to realize the HSUS did not oppose Iniuit seal hunting.

In my view, maybe more outreach from conservation groups to the sealers is needed, with the hopeful goal of trying to work together to resolve the matter, such as getting the fishermen to push for a buyout. Such a buyout may be the best solution.