Four tons of truffles are expected to be collected this season in Catalonia

Barcelona (ACN).- The black truffle season has started this week in Catalonia. The Catalan truffle-hunters aim to collect four tons of black truffles this season. In Catalonia, 350 hectares of cultivated land are dedicated to this exquisite tuber. According to the Technological Centre of Catalan Forests, this truffle season will be better than the last in the areas of Barcelona and Girona. However, Tarragona, in southern Catalonia, and Lleida, in the east, will see a drop in the amounts of truffles collected due to a lack of rain.

The prices will remain at the same levels of last year. On average, a kilo of black truffles will cost the consumer 400 euros. The truffle-hunter of Baronia de Rialb, in the northern Catalan region of La Noguera, Josep M.Vilella, said that they have a created a registered brand name to promote the local truffles and help to export them all around the world.

According to the expert on truffles Daniel Oliach, this season's collection will be 'slightly better' than the last one, when three tons of the tuber were collected. Last year's season was 'worse than expected', said Oliach, because the weather was really cold. The truffles at that time were sold at around 371 euros per kilo.

'It is getting more and more complicated to find truffles worth 800 to 900 euros per kilo', admitted Oliach, who nonetheless said that consumers should wait till the end of December to see the final prices for the finest truffles.

Registered Brand Name

The truffle-hunter of Baronia de Rialb, Josep M.Vilella, created a registered brand name for his truffles. The mark, 'La Baronia de Rialb', is sold to local businesses in the region. However, most of the finest truffles are exported to France. 

Truffle hunters such as Vilella search for truffles with the help of specially trained dogs. When the animals find a truffle, the hunter carefully digs a hole in the ground to retrieve the prize tuber, while trying not to harm the roots of the trees.

Vilella explained that the demand for this delicacy is growing despite the economic crisis. However, he pointed out that clients are looking for the best quality truffles, making the middle-range truffles difficult to sell.

Truffles from Catalonia are sold locally, but most are also exported to the rest of Spain and other foreign countries. The main consumers of Catalan truffles are France, the United Kingdom, Italy and, to a lesser extent, Portugal, Andorra and the United States.