There is a fungus among us...TRUFFLES

 

Truffle dogs at work...a well-trained dog is worth 5000 Euros.

One of the best experiences on my recent trip to Umbria was truffle hunting in the lushly green, delicately oaked, woodsy hills outside of the town of Norcia. A licenced truffle hunter and his well-trained dogs demonstrated the art of finding the fungus. Although pigs are still used in parts of Europe to sniff out the truffles, dogs are easy to train and less prone to scarfing the pungent treasure.  Because of their high price and powerful taste, truffles are used sparingly. White truffles are generally served raw, and shaved over pasta, salad or eggs. While in the past chefs used to peel truffles, in modern times most restaurants brush the truffle carefully and shave it or dice it with the skin on so as to make the most of this valuable fungus.

Francesco, the truffle hunter.

That's a lot of truffle.....