OUR TRUFFLES
Truffles
The Diamonds of Gastronomy
Known as the ‘diamonds of gastronomy’ truffles impart a delicate and unique aroma to savoury and sweet dishes alike, elevating the taste profile of everything they touch. A single Italian white truffle weighing 410 grams was sold at an auction in Florence for more than six times its weight in gold, making this humble underground fungus one of the most precious natural substances known to man.
Our search for the finest truffle products took us all over northern and central Italy. Reaching the Province of Perugia in the Umbrian hills of central Italy, we found a superlative taste and aroma in the native black truffles, bestowed by rich fluvian soils sheltered beneath the canopies of dense hardwood forests. The truffles here exude the taste of the earth, fruit, and chocolate. Here in the commune of Pietralunga, the Black Perigord truffle flourishes naturally, unlike its cultivated cousins in other parts or Europe, Australia, and North America. Harvested in the depth of winter alongside the Alba or White Truffle species, the Black Perigord is the White Truffle’s equal in esteem for the delicate nuances of its taste and aroma.
It was here in Pietralunga that we joined Giuliano Martinelli and his team from GIULIANOTARTUFI® in a hunt that took our breath away, both from the cold winter breeze and the fragrance of the prized truffles we unearthed. Through by far the most natural processing we had witnessed on our travels, the GIULIANOTARTUFI® range of truffle specialities honours the delicacy of the taste and aroma of the native truffle species allowing them to be the stars that they naturally are. Specialised in the processing of fresh truffles using the most refined artisan methods. The company's staff has thirty years of experience in producing a wide range of truffle based delicacies that bring the culinary traditions of the region to the world.
Introducing GIULIANOTARTUFI®
“THIS WORK IS MY LIFE, I AM THE SAME AS 40 YEARS AGO: A DOG, A MOPED AND A VANGHETTO”
I am Giuliano Martinelli founder of Giuliano Tartufi Srl
My adventure began forty years ago, when a little bit for fun .. a little bit for destiny, I discovered the world of truffles and immediately a great passion was born inside me.
I was little more than a teenager, every morning I went out with my moped, I tied behind a small wooden box and brought with me my dog and the vanghetto* that my grandfather had given me: I grew up like this, in the awareness that the search for truffles is a real art, which is learned little by little and is learned with constancy, dedication and a lot of perseverance!
While cultivating my passion I first worked as a worker at a video game factory ... over time, however, I started to feel that my heart was beating elsewhere!
One day like this I took courage and made the most important decision of my life: I quit and started to dedicate myself completely to the world of truffles!
Small steps, always in the same direction, always carrying on my ideas, without ever looking back: only in this way, I managed to become a highly experienced truffle hunter.
Over the years I have dealt with many professionals in the sector who have allowed me to increase my skills even more. The first years of work as a truffle hunter passed quickly until my instinct told me that it was time to give my profession a further turn: I decided to stop being "just" a truffle hunter and I started to buy and resell truffles.
My company Giuliano Tartufi Srl was born like this: with fresh truffles, with many small jars and also thanks to many men and women ... "crazy" and courageous who in recent years have followed, helped and supported me: it is also thanks to them that Giuliano Tartufi has arrived where we are now.
In the beginning, the results were not always positive, but I never had the doubt whether to give up or continue because this is not a novel but it is my life: I remained the same as 40 years ago when I only had a dog, a moped and a vanghetto* because you either have the passion or you can’t create it!
*the vanghetto is a special tool similar to a small shovel