On The Trail Of White Gold

THE HUNTER WORKS alone - in the dead of night, armed with a cloak and a faint light, and a dog as his guide. When his four-legged companion starts digging, he jumps into action, flipping the cloak to cover both light and hole to avoid detection.

Rule number one for truffle hunters: never reveal the location of your hunting ground, because in this highly lucrative and competitive trade, sabotage and theft are par for the course.

The truffle world is full of stories about the extent to which hunters and traders will go for this prized condiment coveted by gourmands around the world. There are the hu…