When you ask us how to get black truffles, we can understand that you are asking two different things: on the one hand, where to buy black truffles, and on the other hand, how to get natural black truffles or, better said, how to work as a truffle grower.
Buy black truffles from Aragon
There are several ways to buy black truffles. Firstly, you can attend specialized truffle fairs where, in many cases, you can buy truffles directly from the growers. This is a great way to network within the truffle world, but it is also very time-consuming and often involves a long journey.
Black truffles can be purchased online, but most platforms lose the traditional feel of the truffle world. Attending specialized black truffle fairs in person adds significant value to the experience, as it allows for valuable networking and deeper understanding of the truffle world through talks and conferences.
At Sentidos Truferos, we've created a synergy between online platforms for buying and selling black truffles and in-person trade fairs for the black truffle industry. Whether you're a producer, distributor, or consumer, you'll find your place on our platform. It's a website where you can buy, sell, and stay informed about black truffles, as well as network with other truffle enthusiasts.
How to find black truffles?
Truffle cultivation is the art of obtaining truffles by cultivating land prepared for this purpose, a complicated art that requires years of preparation and great experience to achieve the right conditions for the development of the black truffle of Aragon .
Truffles can only be cultivated when specific climatic and soil mineral conditions are met, which makes this art difficult.
As far as the land is concerned, the soil where a black truffle plantation is established needs to meet certain requirements related not only to climate, but also to soil, topography, and vegetation. Furthermore, if black truffles have already grown naturally on that land, the conditions for truffle cultivation are much more favorable. Interestingly, land suitable for truffle cultivation is not usually suitable for other types of crops.
But soil conditions aren't the only factors influencing black truffle cultivation in Aragon. The plantation also requires various forms of care, including weed control and careful irrigation, which varies depending on the weather and rainfall. If it doesn't rain during the summer months and the crop isn't irrigated, no truffles will be harvested when the season begins.
This is why we refer to "the art of the truffle grower" when we talk about the planting and harvesting of black truffles in Aragon. This is because, even if all the previously described conditions are met and the plantation is carefully tended, there is no certainty about how long it will take for the truffle plantation to produce truffles. Some studies suggest it can take more than eight years.
Finding truffles with a truffle dog
Truffle growers are the people who dedicate themselves to harvesting truffles, but the black truffle of Aragon is not visible to the naked eye, as truffles grow at a certain depth underground. Truffle growers usually use trained dogs to find the truffles. These dogs use their highly developed sense of smell to indicate to the growers the location of these black diamonds.
Previously, truffle growers used truffle pigs, although this practice is now less common due to the difficulty of training the pigs. Despite this, there are still plantations where truffle pigs or wild boars are used.
But truffles also grow naturally in the wild, and we can all train a truffle dog to find them. Even so, the dedication and effort required are considerable, and the reward for hunting wild truffles is meager. Therefore, we always recommend leaving the work to the experts and, if you wish to consume black truffles, purchasing them online at Sentidos Truferos.
How to train a dog to find truffles?
The training process for a truffle dog is the same as for any other dog. Many truffle growers use the reward method to train their truffle dogs: the first step is to hide a black truffle somewhere and send the dog out to find it; upon finding it, the dog is rewarded.
One tip is to protect the black truffle to prevent the dog from eating it. You can use a small plastic container with holes so the dog can still smell the truffle.
Gradually, the hiding place for the truffle will become more difficult for the dog to find, eventually leading to an out-of-the-field search. It's essential to know where truffles can be found and how to manage the dog's frustration when it doesn't find a black truffle in the wild.
