HOUND FOUND
TRUFFLE HUNTING IN LANGLEY, B.C.
A low grey cloud obscures the view of neat rows of oak and hazelnut trees on a farm in a remote corner of Langley. Here, in British Columbia’s agrarian Fraser Valley, the fragrances of farm life mix with that of damp earth, which has yet to show signs of new spring growth. One scent eludes our human detection, registered only by the dogs running around in a state of high excitement. With a unique ability to smell the hidden treasure beneath our feet, the dogs are present with a purpose. They’re on the hunt for truffles. The highly sought-after delicacy is native to the Mediterranean region, particularly Italy and France. Full of savoury umami flavour, shavings of the luxurious tuber are welcome on dishes ranging from pasta to risotto to glammed-up scrambled eggs. Truffles are the underground fruiting bodies of certain ectomycorrhizal fungi. But of the thousands of species worldwide, only a handful are fit for culinary use. Their scarcity can drive the price up to thousands of dollars per kilogram, making cultivation an enticing prospect. North America’s Pacific Northwest region is fertile territory for the cultivation of much of this continent’s truffle harvest. Three species of Mediterranean truffle — Tuber melanosporum (Périgord black truffle), Tuber aestivum (burgundy truffle) and Tuber borchii (bianchetto truffle) — are grown on select farms in B.C., providing a small but reliable supply of locally grown fresh truffles. And the key to a successful harvest is a well-trained truffle-hunting dog. John Kelly is a tall, pipe-smoking Vancouverite, whose truffle hunting hobby is born from a love of foraging for mushrooms — and the search for something fun to do with his dog, Macchi. A Lagotto Romagnolo, the Italian truffle dog breed, eight-yearold Macchi (short for Macchiato) was amenable to training and particularly adept at hunting for truffles, both in the wild and in cultivated truffle orchards. His prime motivator is play and, after sniffing out a truffle and pawing the earth, he waits intently for Kelly to toss the special orange “only for truffling” ball. Lagottos, along with other truffleproficient dog breeds, are trained to recognize mature truffles via their complex odour profiles, which can range from garlic to damp earth, pineapple or rubber tire, sharpening as the truffles warm post-extraction. The dogs follow their noses, aided by the fact that truffles are only aromatic when they’re mature and ripe. Indeed, the truffle’s lifecycle depends on being found, dug up and consumed; the act of discovery allows its spores to spread. Wild animals like squirrels, mice and deer eat the truffles outright; trained dogs mark the ground with a swipe of a paw, then wait for their reward. The thrill of the hunt keeps a small number of dedicated truffle hunters doggedly engaged in this particular Claudia Laroye ( @itsclaudiatravels) is an awardwinning freelance writer and editor living in Vancouver. Her travel anthology, A Gelato a Day, was published in fall 2022.
pursuit. The odds of finding them are low, and hunters keep their favourite areas closely guarded secrets. “One day, Macchi might find a kilo of wild truffles; the next day, nothing,” says Kelly. There’s science behind the difficult work of creating a cultivated truffle industry. English oak and hazelnut tree seedlings must be inoculated and colonized with truffle fungus before planting. On an existing orchard, the native mycorrhizal fungi are already on the trees and will “kick off” any introduced truffle fungus. After inoculation and planting, successful truffle cultivation is a waiting game affected by soil quality, irrigation and climate. As in many agricultural pursuits, success is never guaranteed. Though the cultivated truffle industry in B.C. is in its infancy, two farms are working to provide a more reliable supply for aficionados and local chefs. A nut farm on Vancouver Island successfully cultivated French Périgord and burgundy black truffles, while Langley’s Below the Oaks is home to Canada’s only farm producing bianchetto truffles. Owned by Trevor and Danielle Mlinaritsch, the truffière includes two hectares of English oak and hazelnut trees that were inoculated more than 15 years ago for Périgord truffles and Italian bianchetto truffles. After 10 years, the owners found only small pebbles of the bianchetto truffles, but numbers have been increasing ever since. In 2021, they harvested three kilos of bianchetto during the season, which runs from December to midapril. The Mlinaritsches sell these “hound found” truffles, which fetch a wholesale price of $2 per gram in the current market, to local chefs and restaurants, as well as to a nearby distillery for its truffle-infused vodka. It’s still early days for B.C.’S truffle industry, but its passionate proponents agree there is good potential for expanding a cultivated truffle industry, if it is done in a way that respects the land — and the animals — that allow it to thrive and grow. In the meantime, Kelly and Macchi will continue to keep their eyes, and noses, close to the ground, in pursuit of these highly prized nuggets of fragrant fungi. Hot tip: The BC Truffle Festival takes place every February during peak truffle hunting season, with special talks, tours and truffle-themed dinners at local restaurants. Check the Facebook site for updates. Drink: Roots and Wings Craft Distillery in Langley offers a vodka tasting flight that includes a truffle-infused vodka made in collaboration with Below the Oaks.