Tourism

Truffle hunting in Portico di Romagna

Woods, trees and a huge millennial forest: this is the nature that you will live staying in Portico. And as natural as it is, most of the dishes of the local tradition use what the forest can offer: wild mushrooms, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, chestnuts and truffles.

The underwood treasures: truffles

Black or white, different in taste and smell but nevertheless precious even more than gold or diamonds. Every year Italy and also Emilia Romagna become the Home land of truffles, with international fairs and events, the best chance to buy and eat.

Truffle hunting is not so difficult: you need a dog, a cane and some luck. Easy? Well, just ask a professional truffle hunter and he will never say so. Matteo Cameli, one of the chef of Vecchio Convento Restaurant is one of them.

He’s the lucky guy that will open to you all the secrets of truffle hunting. But before that let’s peep in the kitchen of Vecchio Convento and discover some of theirs special dishes.

Eggs with truffles

Not just eggs, but a special preparation that takes the red of the egg, make it hard on the external part and soft in in the inside, served with some leaves of truffle

Risotto with truffles

Rice cooked with broth, some truffles inside the preparation that cooking will give the right smell to it and a final decoration with fresh truffle.

Wonder dogs to hunt truffles

Experiencing truffle hunting will change your idea of truffle and of the relationships between men and dogs. Dogs are the real deal: the recognize places, smells, spots even when we didn’t remember. The hunting reserve of Matteo is not so huge but big enough to guarantee to the six lucky owners to find the treasure.

Dogs (Otto and Rex) are the real hunters: their nose on the ground, a hint coming from who knows where and here you go. Just a couple of seconds and they find something. They are educated dogs: they do not eat what they find, because they know that Matteo will reward them a lot. And in any case it is just an exciting game where man is playing with them.

At the end of the day, when you see your truffle in the dish, you will remember this adventure in Portico di Romagna and take it with you back home.

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