Truffles in Istria, Croatia

The trademark of Istria is the smelly, wrinkled, gnarled, underground-growing fungus also called black diamonds as its price rivals that of gold – truffles. Truffles thrive in the claggy damp clay soil and oak forests around Motovun and in a typical year 3,000 truffle hunters with 12,000 dogs will hit the slopes of Istria looking for this extraordinary delicacy.