Italy, always recognized for its history, for its cultural heritage, for the extraordinary landscapes in which art and nature meet, is equally appreciated for the variety of its food and wine products and for a culinary art that has conquered palates all over the world.
As part of the Integrated Promotion initiatives promoted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which combine the elements and aspects of greatest relevance of Made in Italy declined in different sectors, including that of food and wine, this year, on the occasion of the IX edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, the exhibition initiative Scent of Italy. The truffle, curated by Emanuela Panke, is proposed.
The truffle, an underground mushroom highly prized for its distinctive aroma and very popular in gourmet cuisine, with its intense aromas and its rarity is one of the symbols of Italian production excellence.
Each species, both in the summer variety and in the winter variety, represents a unique story, linked to local territories and traditions. In fact, truffle harvesting is often accompanied by centuries-old traditions and rituals that help identify and preserve the cultural identity of the communities involved.
The Italian peninsula is particularly rich in them: from North to South, there are both the varieties considered the most valuable, and the more common and less expensive but no less interesting types.
The presence of truffles in Italian cuisine has very ancient origins, dating back to the times of ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder, in his work "Naturalis Historia", refers to truffles, describing them as a mushroom of considerable value and medicinal properties and says that truffles were consumed both raw and cooked and were considered a true delight for the palate.
Truffles arrived in Rome from various parts of the empire. They were considered a luxury and were also offered as precious gifts to emperors and members of the Roman elite.
Precisely to tell the story of one of the most precious products of Italian cuisine and the peculiarities that distinguish the different types, the idea was born to present an exhibition that is structured through a story that intersects different elements.
Through the use of videos, interactive stations and immersive experiences, multiple aspects of a story with millenary roots are illustrated. Thanks to elements of agronomy, characteristics are defined that are useful for specifying those geographical specificities that give life to different species of truffle. Whether it is the prized White Truffle of Alba, the fragrant Black Truffle of Norcia or the lesser known but still exquisite black truffle of Bagnoli Irpino, each variety tells a unique story, expresses the hydrogeological nature of a territory and its seasonality that defines its quality, representing the perfect combination of man's skill and the generosity of nature.
In the journey that leads to a deeper understanding of a unique and versatile product at the same time, the key steps for a correct gastronomic preparation that enhances its distinctive flavor and intense aroma are explained, accompanied by a fundamental in-depth analysis of everything that is done to ensure the protection of truffle grounds.
The environmental protection standards that aim to ensure the sustainability of the practice of truffle hunting and extraction are illustrated, underlining how human pressure, urbanization, climate change and other threats can compromise the natural habitats of truffles, also demonstrating how intensive truffle hunting can damage the roots of the trees under which truffles grow, putting the health of the trees themselves and the surrounding ecosystem at risk.
Finally, it is possible to understand what the work of the truffle hunter consists of and how truffle dogs are trained, animals specialized in the search and collection of this precious tuber, equipped with an exceptional sense of smell and trained to locate truffles hidden in the ground without damaging them.
The journey into the world of truffles ends with a sensory experience that makes the visitor an active and involved part, stimulating his olfactory abilities. Thanks to a series of ampoules that contain the aroma of some varieties of truffles, it is possible to try to recognize the taste profile and the aromatic properties of the varieties presented.
In 2021, the ‘Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy: traditional knowledge and practices’ officially became part of the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.