Truffle dogs being trained to sniff out pungent fungus prized by foodies
The growing appetite for truffles is feeding demand for dogs trained to sniff out the pungent fungus prized by chefs and foodies.
As more landowners plant orchards in hopes of harvesting truffles, more dogs are being trained to detect the earthy delicacies, which take several years to ripen on tree roots underground.
"There is huge demand for truffle dogs right now," said Alana McGee, co-founder of the Truffle Dog Company, which helps orchard owners search for truffles and trains dogs how to find them in orchards or in the wild.
McGee's dog Lolo, a brown and white Lagotto Romagnolo, sniffed for signs of truffles on the roots of oak and hazelnut trees planted next to Robert Sinskey's vineyards in Carneros, California.
Sinskey was the first Napa Valley winemaker to plant a truffle orchard five years ago and wants to be the first California grower to harvest truffles, hopefully next year. He plans to have McGee teach his dogs the art of truffle-hunting.
In Europe, truffle hunters traditionally used pigs, but in recent years the job has gone to the dogs, which are easier to manage, less conspicuous and less likely to eat the tasty tubers or bite a hand trying to snatch one from its mouth.
Known as the diamonds of the culinary world, most black truffles come from Europe or Australia and cost US$800 to US$1,200 per pound, but supplies are shrinking while appetites are expanding worldwide, said Robert Chang, chief truffle officer of the American Truffle Company.
European black truffles, the ones most coveted for their powerful taste and aroma, are notoriously fickle.
The American Truffle Company is working with dozens of landowners across the US to grow European black truffles commercially.
