Posted by Elizabeth

When Maikael and I visited the Istria region of Croatia, a verdant peninsula known for its sweeping vistas and long culinary tradition (some describe it as Tuscany 50 years ago), we decided to go truffle hunting.  I can’t declare myself to be any sort of truffle connoisseur, but I had read that Croatia is one of a handful of countries who can lay claim to being truffle territory, a precious fungus known for its rich taste that grows below the surface of the soil, making them difficult to forage.  It’s no wonder truffles – the most prized being the white variety – sell on the market for upward of $3,500 per pound!  After spending the morning truffle hunting, it was clear why these remarkable fungi are so prized – and how the experience is chock-full of life in pencil lessons.

You only need a little of a very good thing. Before the truffle hunt began, we had a chance to sample typical Istrian delicacies laced with truffles, including spreads, oils, cheeses, sausages, and a delicious frittata dusted with truffle shavings.  The taste is earthy and decadent, their aroma a whiff of the forest it grew in.  The thing about truffles is a small amount packs a big punch – and isn’t that true with the best things in life?  Our lives need not be a nonstop parade of spectacular or extraordinary experiences, but one small but special encounter a day goes a long way towards our overall contentment.

Everybody needs a guide. Because truffles grow below the surface of the ground, highly-trained dogs – not pigs, as is commonly believed – are used to sniff out the elusive fungus.  Dogs are trained from two months of age, and only a handful of them will go on to become full-fledged truffle hunters.  The canines are valuable – a well-trained dog can fetch as much as $13,000 – and when a major truffle is found, both the owner and the dog get credit.  Quite simply, the task couldn’t be completed without the dog.  As we go through our own “hunt” in life, we could all benefit from the help of a guide – be it a professional helper or a good friend – someone with finely-tuned senses to help us navigate the world and seek out hidden prospects.  We can’t maximize our opportunities if we always go it alone.

You have to know what you’re looking for. It’s amazing to watch a truffle hunting dog at work.  He sniffs his way through the underbrush, tunneling through mounds of dried leaves with his snout:  he knows what he’s looking for.  The search would be impossible otherwise.  When his keen sense of smell picks up the scent of a truffle he begins digging furiously, his owner quickly following in suit.  “If I don’t get there in time,” said Ramila, our guide, “he’ll eat the truffle.”  After the dog has dug a few inches into the soil, Ramila begins carefully clearing away the dirt with a blunt-nosed spade.  “There it is!” she cries.  “Do you see it?”  I see nothing but a blanket of coal-colored dirt until she nicks a corner, revealing alabaster skin.  If she didn’t know what she was looking for it would be easy to miss the truffle altogether, which could quickly be mistaken for a clump of dirt.  How many of us go searching for something in our lives without knowing what it is, only to return from the hunt empty-handed and disappointed?

Things aren’t always as they appear. Black truffles masquerade as the dirt surrounding them.  And sometimes, what looks like a simple nugget is a giant truffle waiting to be extracted from the earth.  Ramila’s seventeen year-old son told us about his biggest find, guiding us through a photo gallery in their home which chronicled the hunt.  “At first I thought it was just a tiny truffle, but it was turned in its side like this,” he said, demonstrating with his hands.  After some careful and persistent digging, he revealed a truffle big enough to cup in two palms, earning him nearly $1,000 of pocket money.  It’s easy to discard something that looks meaningless at first glance, especially early in the search process.  We’d be wise to move slowly and reserve judgment until we’ve had a chance to adequately assess the situation.

“Fairest gems lie deep.” Truffle hunting is labor-intensive work.  There are only certain growing seasons, trained dogs are required for a successful hunt, and a keen eye is needed to identify the real deal.  Such is true in life.  The most valuable assets can’t often be seen.  They hide below the surface, waiting for use to ferret them out.  They must be toiled over and worked through.  Nothing worth having comes easy.

There are no sure things. During hunting season, Ramila told us, the dogs are sent out two or three times a day to go hunting.  Sometimes they come back with scads of truffles; other times nothing.  During our hour-long hunt, Ramila and her most-prized dog unearthed only four small truffles.  Her assessment?  “Not too bad.”  A level of comfort with uncertainty is a prerequisite to a successful hunt, as an hour of work could have yielded nothing – or a major haul.  You never know setting out on the hunt – in truffles or in life – what you’re going to find, so an attitude of optimism, open-mindedness, and reserved judgment is required.  And patience.  Lots and lots of patience.