Croatia –
The Truffle Hunter’s Paradise

Dense clouds of mist herald autumn in northern Istria. It’s the middle of September. The rare white truffle is now ripening in the damp mixed forests in the heart of the country. The most important time of the year begins for Visnja Prodan. Like many people in the region, she earns her living with truffles. About 1,800 families make a living from this natural treasure. The truffle hunter is therefore under pressure and roams through the 25 hectare small forest in front of her home several times a day. Her grandfather was already looking for the precious fungus here.

Nikola Tarandek is also a truffle hunter. With his license he can collect half a kilogram a day. There is almost never any enforcement, which makes it easy for the many illegal truffle hunters. Despite the ban, they harvest in secret at night and endanger the population. An estimated 60 percent end up on the black market. Nikola asserts himself in the industry with his experienced dogs and regular customers who eagerly await new goods. Three types of black truffle ripen in Istria: summer, winter and Perigord truffles. Also, seasonally, the white Tuber Magnatum Pico, the most expensive edible mushroom in the world. It can cost up to 7,000 euros per kilogram. As a truffle country, Istria became known through a businessman from Livade: Giancarlo Zigante. He trades internationally and got rich from the Istrian truffle. Worldwide, however, Italy still determines the market with its famous Alba and Piedmont truffles. The Istrian truffle hunters, especially Giancarlo Zigante, would like to change that and are therefore doing everything in their power to conquer the world market with their culinary discoveries.