Soon after I moved to Trieste, after having lived for ten years in Piedmont, I made a decision. Namely, that I will never eat truffles in a Piemontese restaurant again— unless, of course, I am invited. In Piemonte, I lived near Alba, the world’s truffle capital, where tourists come from all over to indulge in these earthy delicacies— no matter the stratospheric price for just a few shavings.
When I moved to Trieste, I was close to Istria, the triangular peninsula that is part of Croatia and Slovenia and home to the Motovun Forest where some of the best truffles in the world can be found. While locals in Alba have been developing truffle tourism since the 1950s, in Istria, which once was part of communist Yugoslavia, the commercialization of the precious mushroom has only developed more recently. In fact, for a long time, it was common for the Piemontese to sell Istrian truffles as their own in order to keep up with all the demand. These days the Istrians are clever enough to keep their truffles on their home territory.
In Piemonte, the restaurants typically serve small portions at stratospheric prices. In fact, the truffles are weighed in milligrams, measured with the help of a letter scale placed on the dinner table, which makes you feel as if you were buying drugs or jewels. However, in Istria, the chefs treat their truffles like a plebeian piece of Parmesan cheese, which they grate in large quantities over simple pasta or egg dishes. (All at a fixed price). It’s best to enjoy them at one of the region’s konobas, Southern Croatia's tavern-style restaurants.
Tončić
This rustic spot with its open fireplace in winter is one of the best agrotourism restaurants in all of Istria. The prosciutto, salami, lamb, and wines are homemade; the vegetables homegrown; and the truffles are hunted by owner Sandi Tončić and his dogs. Diners can sample these precious shavings over egg, pasta and meat dishes. (It’s open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.) Čabarnica 42 Zrenj, 52428, Oprtalj, Croatia +385 91 206 0512
Restaurant Zigante
Many years ago, Giancarlo Zigante found a truffle so big that it made it into the Guinness Book of Records and made him a local celebrity. Later on he opened his restaurant where dishes like white polenta, vegetable soup and tuna with a veal sauce or generously piled with truffle shavings. Livade 7, 52427, Livade, Croatia +385 52 664 302
Konoba Dolina
Deep in the woods near Livade, the unofficial truffle capital, this konoba serves traditional Istrian cuisine along with generous amounts of truffles. 52427, Gradinje, Oprtalj, Croatia +385 91 893 2847
Konoba Malo Selo
Perched on a hill, this country inn serves hearty Istrian pasta and meat dishes accented with large quantities of truffles. Fratrija 1, Kaldanija1, 52460, Buje, Croatia +385 52 777 332
Karlić Truffles
The Karlić family are locally well-established truffle sellers. They don’t operate a proper restaurant but a modern tasting room with a kitchen. They also offer truffle hunts in the nearby forest.
Paladini 14, 52420, Buzet, Croatia
