7 QUESTIONS
Acqualagna
Truffle Paradise in Marche, Italy
Posted on 14 Nov, 2024
Massimo Muccini
MUCCINI TARTUFI owner
INTERVIEW
Have you ever heard of Acqualagna, a small town located in central Italy, the truffle capital of the country? With its blessed climate and soil, this region is truly a truffle paradise where truffles grow year-round. We had the opportunity to ask Massimo Muccini, the representative of MUCCINI TARTUFI, a company with a long tradition in truffle hunting, 7 questions.
Where?
Acqualagna：
A small town in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy, Acqualagna attracts many tourists during its three annual truffle fairs. At the Truffle Museum, known as the MUSEO DEL TARTUFO DI ACQUALAGNA, visitors can learn about the history and culture of truffles in Acqualagna.
01
Please introduce the history of your company
Our story begins with grandfather Domenico Longhi in the 60s', in Urbania, in a modest inn, buying the harvesting truffles.
This small company, has grown overtime, it has been passed down to the heirs of Domenico: Ravaldo, well known throughout Italy and Europe for the service that offers to the best restaurants and Muccini brand, born in 2008, creating a new label, aimed to a public more refined and attentive.
Today, as it was in the past, the name Muccini is indissolubly linked to quality truffle, ensuring history, tradition, passion and culture. Always attentive to traditions, with the constant search for unique products, of gastronomy and culinary high-level, no detail is left to chance, each jar is personally checked, all labels are attached by hand, ensuring only the imperfection created by skillful craftsmanship work.
Muccini, a family that wants transmit own knowledge of ancient recipes, transforming the truffle in a unique and precious specialty.
Please tell us about the truffles from Acqualagna
02
Acqualagna is a small town of 5,000 inhabitants about 40 km from the sea in the north of the Marche region. It has always been very important for truffle research and marketing.
Being in the central Apennines it borders two other regions, Tuscany and Umbria.
The hilly area is rich in vegetation and the woods are full of all types of trees which guarantee the growth of truffles. The White Truffle has the same characteristics as those found in all Italian regions but the main difference is that unlike other regions, here you can find all 4 types of truffles and 600 tons of truffles are harvested per year, approximately two thirds of the national truffle production.
Summer Truffle (Tuber Aestivum Vitt)
Uncinato ( Tuber Uncinatum )
White Truffle (Magnatum Pico)
Black Pregiato Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum)
For this reason, the morphology of the terrain, the various types of soil, sand, sandstone, rocky and clayey, with the flora that cover entire hills create a perfect environment for the birth of all types of truffles with excellent shapes and qualities.
Please tell us what you focus on the most when providing truffles
03
When a truffle is found, the selection of the product is crucial. Based on their characteristics, excellent truffles must be chosen from those with defects, which are then used to process truffle products. While the black truffle is simple to catalog, the white truffle is different.
The time from the moment it is harvested to its tasting is minimal; we are talking about 7 to 10 days. The most important thing about white truffles is the internal paste's scent and consistency.
Although shape is important to the eye, it is the last characteristic to consider when choosing an excellent truffle.
The soil gives the shape. If the land is hard due to drought or clay, then the truffle may grow to a different shape; it could be flat or angular and not perfectly round; if the truffle is born in soft or sandy soil, then when it is born, the shape will undoubtedly be rounder and more perfect.All this does not change the goodness of the truffle.
Answering the question, when I choose a truffle, taking it in my hand, I first bring it to my nose to smell all the aroma and scent it emanates. Then, by touch, I try to understand if the truffle has any internal defects, and then I check the shape, color, and, finally, size.
The truffle, especially the white one, should not be washed to ensure the most extended shelf life. The most significant part of the soil must be removed and brushed, but washing it could eliminate the natural part of the protection that the truffle creates for its growth and conservation in the ground.
After this process, the truffle is marketed according to the customer's requests.
"A scene of freshly harvested truffles being quickly sorted, inspected, cleaned of dirt, and carefully selected. Special attention is required, particularly when sorting white truffles."
Please tell us about the rules of truffle hunting in Acqualagna
04
The rules and regulations for truffle hunting are fundamental.
Truffles can only be found by people who obtain a license that is recognized nationally. They must apply to the region and municipality to which they belong, obtaining the qualification only after an exam.
Truffles cannot be found all year round; the harvesting periods follow stringent rules, and it is forbidden to harvest truffles outside the periods established by law. Suppose a type of truffle not included in the harvest calendar is found on a table. In that case, it means that it is not an Italian truffle and comes from areas outside our borders because it is strictly forbidden to collect and market it.
White Truffle and Uncinato Truffle can be harvested from October 1st to January 15th.
Black Pregiato Truffle from December 1st to March 30th.
Summer Truffle from May 1st to September 15th.
The rules for harvesting are clear: hunters can go and find truffles in all open places, i.e., where there are no prohibitions or reserves.
It is also true that they follow unwritten rules; the gatherers particularly care about the locations, handed down from father to son, and in the community of truffle hunters, everyone knows that out of mutual respect, no one should look for truffles in areas found by other seekers.
Have there been any changes in the environment ? Quantity or quality of truffle harvesting in Acqualagna?
05
Environmental characteristics are fundamental for the birth of the truffle. While the black truffle can be grown in truffle fields, guaranteeing a certain quantity and quality of product, the white truffle is solely natural and cannot be cultivated.
The climate decides the quantity and quality of the truffle. In recent years, the increase in temperatures and the sweltering and little rainy summer months have certainly affected truffle production. It must be remembered that the spores that start the truffle growth process begin their work in July and August. Suppose the rainfall in these months is lower than the average for the period. In that case, the truffle production will be delayed, and you will have to wait a few more days for a quality truffle.
For this reason, in the last 3-4 years, although the harvest can begin on October 01st, the quantity harvested and the quality have certainly not been encouraging. The best period is approaching the end of October, with November being the central month for important production in terms of quantity and quality.
Suffice it to say that if the end of the white truffle harvest was once December 31st to January 12th, today that date has moved to 15-20 January, extending the harvesting season. Since these are meteorological cycles, each year can be different from the other. This is the characteristic of the white truffle. There cannot be a medium or long-term forecast. Only in the short term is it possible to make predictions.
The important thing is that the unique microclimate throughout Italy allows you to find a unique truffle with olfactory characteristics that make the Italian truffle the most sought-after and consumed tuber in the world.
06
Please tell us about your favorite type of truffle and how you like to enjoy it.
My favorite truffle is undoubtedly the White Truffle, but it doesn't necessarily have to be beautiful and round. It should be fragrant, with a perfectly ripe internal pulp and a hazelnut color. These characteristics can only be understood after cutting the first slice of truffle—whether it is intact or visibly broken with cuts or blemishes.
A good rule of thumb in the truffle business is that the best is not always the best. Nature creates imperfections that make each truffle unique.
My favorite way to eat it is with a bruschetta of bread with an egg on top and a good grating of white truffle, and from there, the flavors and aromas are magically wonderful.
Please tell us about your vision for the future
07
The world of truffles is constantly evolving, and increasingly innovative methods are being sought to process and preserve them, especially for storage and having a truffle ready for processing every season.
Indeed, climate change may affect the quantities, and the seasons may shift, but the truffle will always remain the protagonist on the tables of consumers and enthusiasts. What will have to be done in the future is to guarantee its provenance and origin. Italian truffles are often sold to the world, which, in reality, Italy has never seen.
It is essential to teach people that fresh truffles are seasonal and follow a precise calendar; only by following this calendar can you be sure that one is buying an Italian product.
One thing is important: the truffle, especially the white one, has characteristics that unite all our regions. Whether it is from Alba or Acqulagna, it is difficult to find any differences.
This is the message that needs to be sent for the future of the truffle industry.
Join us.
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