Truffles in Assisi, Italy
Jessica Burdzinski | Daily Trojan
About two hours south of Florence by car is the picturesque hilltop city of Assisi in the region of Umbria. Though well known for the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi with the works of famous Italian artist, Giotto, I was especially eager to visit Assisi because of what it’s famous for producing: truffles.
Not to get confused with the little chocolates in shinny glass cases in bakeries, this is a different kind of truffle — mushroom truffles. Grown underground, truffles are rare and can only be found using trained hogs to sniff them out. With certain truffles going for thousands of dollars a pound at auction, it is hard to resist the rich, unique flavor without spending a fortune; however, in the region of Umbria where truffles are more plentiful, each restaurant has a handful of truffle dishes that one can enjoy without breaking the bank.
Upon arrival, we hurried into the church to escape being swept away by the powerful gusts of wind and were instantaneously struck by the beauty of the artwork ornately painted on the wails and ceilings that surrounded us. Learning about the historical and biblical stories portrayed by Giotto and other 14th century Italian artists greatly enhanced the understanding of the symbolism and purpose of the upper and lower basilicas.
After spending a few hours marveling at the detailed frescos and gothic architecture of the basilica and strolling down the romantic and authentically-Italian streets of Assisi, we stumbled upon a typical Umbrian restaurant with an array of black and white truffle dishes. My friends and I decided that when in Umbria, do as the Umbrians do and proceeded to order different plates of pasta with black truffle. As for me, I got my favorite, gnocchi con tartufo nero. In most parts of the world, truffled pasta comes sautéed in truffle oil, but in Assisi, actual shavings of truffles are used in the preparation and presentation of the dish.
With each plate pretty much licked clean we ventured to the local gelateria and grabbed a quick dolci before heading back home to Florence. Overall, it was blustery yet flavorful day spent in Assisi.
XOXO,
Florentine Foodie
I read this: “truffles are rare and can only be found using trained hogs to sniff them out….” Change the h in hogs to d as in dogs and you would be correct. In Umbria we use dogs more than pigs. From a resident whose retriever has yet to learn what to sniff for.