Félix Día, truffle hunter of the Pyrenees: the guardian of the “black diamond” of Aragon
In the ravines of the Isábena Valley , where winter smells of cold earth and holm oak, Félix Día continues a tradition that changed the history of Ribagorza : the search for the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) .
His story is that of an ancient profession that has managed to reinvent itself without losing its soul. Today, while many flee the countryside, Félix ventures into the pre-Pyrenean mountains each season with his dog Dina , hunting one of the most coveted treasures in world gastronomy, valued at up to 950 euros per kilo .
The black gold rush
The discovery of the black truffle in Graus and its surroundings, in the late 1940s, was to the region what California gold or the Klondike were to other times.
The French were the first to recognize the value of that subterranean fungus, which the people of Ribagorza considered an insignificant rarity. But they soon understood that this "black potato" held a double secret: its price and its gastronomic power .
In 1947 , the truffle craze led to the creation of the Graus Black Truffle Market , the first in Spain. Trades were then conducted at the Hotel Lleida , in discreet, nighttime meetings where no one revealed the origin of their truffles. This shadowy economy shaped the sector's secretive nature, a trait that persists to this day.
It was a very shady business; the truffle hunters would go out at dawn, hide their cars, and cover the lights so that no one would know where the truffles were located.
The art of reading the earth
The black truffle is not picked: it is hunted . And the precision with which a truffle dog locates the exact spot where it lies buried underground is the result of years of patience and training.
Felix trained his partner Dina from puppyhood. Together they roam the limestone mountains of Biascas de Obarra , where cold winters, dry summers, and stony soils create the perfect environment for mycorrhizae.
There, nature offers an age-old balance between holm oaks, gall oaks, and hazel trees. When the truffle ripens, a giant red truffle fly (Suillia gigantea) flutters above the surface, attracted by the subterranean fragrance. This is how his father learned his trade: by following the flies' flight over the "burned" areas, those bare patches where the truffle prevents vegetation from growing.
Each sign—an insect, a crack, an imperceptible smell—is part of an invisible language that the old truffle hunters learned to read with their hands.
From wild truffles to modern truffle farming
With the arrival of truffle cultivation in the 1980s, that ancestral knowledge found a new ally: science. Mycorrhizal holm oak and oak plants , brought from France, made it possible to expand cultivation and ensure annual production.
Today, more than 75% of Spanish black truffles come from controlled plantations, especially in Teruel and Ribagorza , where a sustainable model has been consolidated that combines technology, respect for the environment and local tradition.
As we explained in our article "The Black Truffle and Its Natural Maturation Cycle ," this fungus needs a balance: calcareous soil, a cold climate, and a dry summer . When these three factors align, the gastronomic miracle that makes Aragon one of the most important truffle-growing regions on the planet emerges.
The best-kept secret of the Pyrenees
Despite the rise of markets and fairs, secrecy remains an essential part of the trade. The "good" truffle grounds—those that hold perfect truffles—are kept under lock and key, and truffle hunters protect their routes with the same zeal a miner guards the map of his vein.
“There are always stares, suspicions… It’s normal. Truffles are very valuable and there aren’t that many of them,” Félix acknowledges.
At the Graus Truffle Market , prices for Tuber melanosporum this season range from 850 to 950 euros per kilo , a figure that reflects its exclusivity but also the difficulties of the field: drought, the increase in wild boars and competition from other varieties such as Tuber brumale , of lower quality.
In our article “ How to identify a genuine black truffle ” we explain the differences between the two, and how to recognize the intense, earthy and nutty aroma of a true melanosporum .
Truffle tourism: the experience that unites countryside and culture
In addition to being a hunter, Félix participates in truffle tourism projects with Casa el Francés , in Bellestar de Graus , where visitors can accompany truffle dogs in the search for the "black diamond" and then taste dishes made with fresh truffles.
Truffle tourism has become a new way to keep truffle culture alive and generate sustainable income in rural areas. Experiences like these allow travelers to understand firsthand the value of the patient work behind each truffle and connect with nature in an authentic way.
If you want to learn more about these activities, we recommend reading our article on Truffle Tourism in Aragon: unique experiences with the black truffle .
From hidden profession to symbol of identity
The story of Félix Día and the truffle growers of the Pyrenees is also the story of a territory that has learned to live off its land without exhausting it .
The black truffle, once a clandestine trade, is now a source of pride and a promise of the future. Its value is measured not only in euros per kilo, but also in its roots, knowledge, and continuity .
In Felix's own words:
“My father used to hunt for truffles to supplement the family income. I still do it, but with a different perspective: truffles teach us patience, how to care for the soil, and how to value what we have beneath our feet.”
A legacy that blooms every winter
Every season, when the cold returns to the mountains of Ribagorza, Felix and Dina repeat the ancestral ritual: listening to the forest, following their instincts and unearthing the black diamond that has given its name to an entire culture.
Because in the Aragonese Pyrenees, the truffle is not only hunted and sold: it is inherited, protected and celebrated .
📚 Main source: El Español – “Félix Día, truffle hunter of the Pyrenees, the 'black diamond' who sells at €950/kg” (January 2025)
