Understand Italian Food, DOP

June 8, 2016 By Jessica McAvoy 2 Comments

You tasted a fantastic cheese at a party, and when you asked what it was, your foodie friends threw around a bunch of pointless acronyms. You were like, yeah, whatever, parmesan from Italy, good enough. And you moved on. Then you bought some, and the experience was more like eh, than the wow you remembered. Why is that? Simple. Because you ignored the acronym. You need to understand Italian food, DOP and all. We learned about this a few years back when we decided to explore Italian food, Bologna style, with Italian Days Food Tour.

Parmigiano Reggiano DOP in Emilia Romagna

Wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP aging

Let’s Look at DOP, Simplified

DOP stands for denomainazione di origine protetta. This certification is granted to individual producers when they follow strict production guidelines. DOP guarantees the quality and production specifications in the creation of the Italian food product.

Take Parmigiano Reggiano DOP for example. Milk can only come from cows in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna (west of the Reno River), and Mantua (east of the Po River). The cheese must be produced and aged in these provinces as well. The birth location and type of cow come into play, as well as what they eat. All these factors must be met for DOP certification.

But, the milk and production location alone does not sanctify DOP status. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium sends Parmigiano Reggiano experts to investigate that the cheese making facilities are producing in using traditional methods. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is made by hand in the same manner as generations past. There are many steps in the process from applying yesterday afternoon’s milk as this morning’s starter, to the size, material, and shape of the cauldrons used, to the wheels used for shaping, and the salt to water ratio of the brine. Each wheel is aged in the region for a minimum of 12 months. After that, there are three additional aging reference points: over 18 months, over 22 months, or 30 months. Each wheel is rotated and brushed clean regularly during aging. The consortium experts check that it is all going as it should.

Rows of Aging Parmigiano Reggiano

Then the real test comes as they check each wheel of cheese with a hammer, needle, and finally a sampling dowel if necessary.

They are listening and looking for too many air holes. The more air holes, the more places that moisture can gain hold and linger causing unwanted mold. The fewer air holes, the longer the cheese can age. They are determining if each wheel rates as DOP if it is ready for market, if it can age longer, and finally if it does not quite qualify at all as DOP and is just “cheese,” which by the way is itself delicious.

How Do You Know if it’s Parmigiano Reggiano DOP?

Take a look at the rind. The visual info found there means everything. You will see an inscription stating PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO, DOP, and CONSORZIO TUTELA. The number identifies the dairy used in the wheel, and the production month and year. You can visit the official Parmigiano Reggiano website and type in the number on your wheel and see what dairy in Emiglia-Romana produced it. Luckily, the consortium has a fact-filled website for your enjoyment before you go to buy your next wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP.

Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Aceto Balsamico, Part 3

June 8, 2016 By Jessica McAvoy 3 Comments

On the drive from the Parmigiano Reggiano factory one couple joked they would love to swim in the salt curing water. As I laughed, I remember thinking bring on some more Lambrusco! A long gravel driveway led us to a stately villa. It was 3 or 4 stories high with a bright red terracotta roof. Honestly, I don’t know if it really was or not, but that’s how I remember it. Chickens and roosters scattered into the grass clucking and pecking like mad men as we slowly made our way to an outbuilding. A caramel-y, sweet smell mingled with that of old wine greeted us at the door. We headed upstairs to the attic where traditional balsamic vinegar was aging.

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP or Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

As I recall, tradition dictates that a family can only begin a new batteria, or set of casks, of balsamic at two moments in time–to celebrate a marriage or a birth. Each batteria is crafted of 5 different kinds of wood and arranged successively in size.

Batteria Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Casks

A Dark Attic Full of Aceto Balsamico Aging

Each year, the smallest cask gives the vinegar output. No more than 1/3 of its contents can be emptied. The 1/3 that is taken out is replaced by 1/3 from the cask behind it, and so on. Fresh grape juice is added to the largest cask in the back. None of the casks are ever drained, and each become progressively thicker and more syrupy in texture as they become more concentrated over time, down to the smallest cask. This cask contains the most concentrated and longest aged sampling of the vinegar.

The tops of all the casks are covered by a piece of cloth which allows the vinegar to breathe and stops the fermentation process. Without getting to complicated, a sampling is sent to a consortium which blindly taste tests and decides yep, this is the bomb, or nope, goes back in until next year. If not approved for sale as traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, the villa can sell it as condiment grade vinegar. If given the a-o-k, it gets bottled by the villa in the same 100 ml size and shape bottle used by all the villas approved for sale as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP The bottle is then adorned with a color coated DOP seal indicating age, and a label identifying the villa.

Batteria of Balsamic Vinegar Covered with Fabric

Fabric Cloths Cover the Balsamic Vinegar Cask Openings

We sampled many years of balsamic. Each lending something different to our taste buds. True balsamic vinegar D.O.P. as well as balsamic condiment of Modena take on the flavors found in the casks. Oak, chestnut, cherry, juniper, mulberry, etc. Factory condiment does not as it is rapidly fermented in stainless steel so there are no wood nuances to take on. The moment of truth arrives when fresh vanilla gelato is topped with balsamic vinegar aged over 100 years known as extra vecchio.

Extra Vecchio Aceto Balsamico DOP di Modena, Balsamic Vinegar Food is Passion

Official 100 ML Aceto Balsamico di Modena Tradizionale bottle that is used by all D.O.P. approved Aceto Balsamico

Already lovers of true balsamic, we picked up a bottle of the extra vecchio on this tour which recently brought food passion back to me. I often find myself day dreaming of an Italian wedding taking place among the family’s Trebbiano vineyards over 100 years ago when I enjoy our bottle. I find myself remembering amazing Italian meals each time I smell or taste the contents. More so, I remember the company many Italian meals have been shared with–a professor, old and new friends, my husband. I remember the weather, the trip, the table setting. Food is the gateway to memory for me. Aceto Balsamico for me happens to open the gate.

Many Courses, Many Wines

We wrapped up the tour with a beautiful group meal. Alessandro’s partner Barbara joined us with their daughter. Pegged as a “lite lunch” this was far from that. How lite? Many hours long and 7 or 8 courses. We dined on the grounds of an organic winery, Inn, and restaurant.

Rolling hills surrounded us, and the leaves on the vineyards just started to emerge from their winter’s slumber. Alessandro and Barbara’s daughter was just gaining confidence in her little legs. She’d climb down the patio into the grass, and back up, and so it went for a while. Then she’d run to each of us asking for bread, or cheese.

Vineyard Lunch

Each course was paired with a wine from the vineyard. The highlight of the meal for me was ravioli stuffed with potato and mortadella in a butter and sage sauce. Honestly, the rest of the meal is kind of a blur of wine, laughter, closing my eyes in bites of ecstasy, more wine, and more laughter.

This experience was more than a food tour. It was the first time I believe I really adopted my motto that strangers are friends you haven’t met yet. New friends were made that day with one language in common, taste.

Part 1 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style with Italian Days Food Tour
Part 2 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP

Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Parmigiano Reggiano, Part 2

June 4, 2016 By Jessica McAvoy 2 Comments

The first stop on the Italian Days Food Tour was a family-run factory making the king of cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (parmesan as most Americans call it). You could smell a very distinct smell outside the factory. This was Parmigiano. As a scent sensitive gal, I feared this moment since the day I booked the tour, but the smell was completely different than what I feared.

Cheese never entirely agreed with me growing up, so I never took a liking to it. Then, one day I started eating “real” cheeses, and it turns out that it wasn’t the cheese of my youth that disagreed with me, but more likely the fact that I wasn’t eating cheese at all. My mom never liked cheese, so we never ate it, other than grilled cheese sandwiches made with American cheese food product in white or yellow. Each slice was very conveniently individually wrapped.

My childhood convinced me that I did not like cheese. We also had in the fridge a plastic jar of parmesan cheese for my dad. I cringed every time he pulled it out. I hated the smell, despised it even. It reminded me of the odor that permeated when he would take his work boots off at the end of the day. My sister and I would both wince and tell him to please, for the love of God, put your boots outside.

I was pleased to experience that it was not the same smell. The smell was slightly sweet, nutty, and a bit foxy. I will admit though, by the end of the tour it was wearing on me. Much like any strange smell does after a long dose of exposure.

Cheesemakers pull Parmigiano Reggiano out of cauldron on the Italian Days Food Tour

Head Cheesemaker and his assistant pulling the Parmigiano Reggiano out of the cauldron

Ever the light packer, I had two pairs of shoes to select from for the day. Strappy flat leather sandals and hiking sneaks. I chose to wear the former and instantly regretted it. We entered the factory, and a slurry of milky-whey-watery substance that was all over the floor licked the sides of my feet. Lesson learned closed shoes next time you visit a cheese factory.

Except for the slurry, the factory was immaculate. White tile floor and walls and shiny polished stainless steel work surfaces everywhere. Cheese balls were being produced in large copper cauldrons about 6+ feet deep. About 2 1/2 to 3 feet were above ground and about the same or more recessed below the surface.

Unlike other cheese tours, this one presented the entire production process. Morning milk delivery, whey separation, cheese ball pull out and forming, salt bath soak, aging, wheel rotation, and brushing.

We learned all the production steps and tradition that separates Parmigiano Reggiano DOP from just cheese.

It was an honor to meet the head cheesemaker, and if I recall correctly, he has not taken a single day off in over thirty years. He was what I would picture if someone said to imagine the “head cheesemaker.” A happy man, but very serious. It was as if the world was on his shoulders. Each day’s milk delivery turns to tomorrow’s cheese production. If he halts production even one day, he stops the entire process.

There were millions of Euros of cheese wheels aging. Yep, the crap in the plastic container at the grocery store is just that, crap. And, of course, we tasted the amazing cheese. Then the real tasting, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP aged for over 12 years, 20 years, 22 years, and the king, aged over 30 years. Complex, nutty, and refined, we washed it down with beautiful, slightly frizzante local Lambrusco.

Parmigiano Reggiano wheels curing in a salt bath

Back in the van, we were off to a family’s villa that has been producing balsamic vinegar in the traditional method for over 200 years. Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, Part 3

Part 1 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style with Italian Days Food Tour
Part 3 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Aceto Balsamico

Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style

June 4, 2016 By Jessica McAvoy 3 Comments

Some travel experiences have no price tag. These are very rarely tours for us. We’ve had a few meh experiences over the years. It turned us off. The whole idea of spending money to be stuck with a group of people you may or may not hit it off with, and a guide you may or may not relate to, well, is just not worth it. Or at least that’s how we felt until we decided to explore Italian food, Bologna style, with Italian Days Food Tour.

Bologna is in the heart of Emilia-Romagna. Easily one of my top 5 favorite Italian cities for all the usual reasons–art, food, wine–and repeat. Home to what is said to be the oldest university in the world. You pass by smart and sophisticated people on your passeggiare under the labyrinth of covered porticoes. The city is roofed with red terracotta tiles and is strikingly beautiful.

Iconic Red Terracotta Roofs in Bologna, Italy

Art and music abound here. There is a museum dedicated to the still life paintings of Bologna’s own Giorgio Morandi. This city is home to the best damn bolognese sauce. It is, after all, named after the place. For us, priceless travel experiences are always art or food related. Recently I opened a bottle of extra vecchio Aceto Balsamico di Modena that I picked up on this tour and food is passion again for me. This tour opened a door for a genuine appreciation of traditional food production.

It has been a few years since we went on the Italian Days Food Tour yet I still recommend it, with flying hand gestures, to everyone that tells me they will be in Italy.

Going to Puglia all the way in the boot’s heel? I don’t give a shit. I’m still going to tell you to go to Emilia-Romagna and explore Italian food, Bologna style.

So now you ask, what makes this tour so amazing? And no, the company did not compensate me (except for two tickets to the New York Times Travel Show this past January that anyone in the area could get from them), so nope, that is not the answer.

Enter Alessandro Martini, the food-loving mastermind behind this company.

When we took the tour, he had only location going–Bologna. You had two choices, with or without prosciutto farm. With a larger than life personality, it’s no wonder that over the years he has built an empire staffed with food and culture passionate people all around Italy. They are ready to assist you in exploring your Italian desires.

Three things separate him from others giving tours: passion, experience, and connection. He works intimately with small, family producers that create fantastic food using traditional methods. He breathes, sleeps, and of course, eats DOP. Alessandro’s excitement is contagious. You suck up the energy he puts out with every gestural sentence. I do not have one photo of him standing still. Decked out in a sports coat over a graphic tee filled with illustrations of Ray-Bans, and of course, like any civilized Italian, he was wearing a pair of said glasses as well.

Italian Days Food Tour Owner and Guide Alessandro Explains Parmigiano Reggiano

Alessandro, the passionate foodie mastermind behind Italian Days Food Tour

We popped by his booth at this year’s New York Times Travel Show to say hi. Yep, still sporting his fun-loving personality. He told us the Bologna food tour pretty much operates the same (with the addition of white coats, booties, and hairnets).

We first met Alessandro on a May 2017 morning. It was before 7 AM when his sprinter van driver picked showed up at our hotel. There were about 12 of us total. Instantly, we hit it off with the others and realized they were our people! We were all lovers of food ready to fill our senses with whatever Alessandro had planned.

In the van, Alessandro got us all talking-before 7 am-to one another. What?! That’s crazy! Yep, I know.

We learned the difference between I.G.P (indicazion geografica protetta) and DOP (denomainazione di origine protetta), and the importance of DOP certification. Alessandro made everyone feel comfortable. He asked questions and listened. The old-fashioned kind of listening, you know, when a conversation is interactive and not just one waiting for an opening to talk. We learned about each other, what we all did for a living, and a bit about each of our passions for food and life. The lush countryside moved by outside; rolling hills of kelly green grass, and big puffy clouds in the sky. We had no idea what the day would bring us but felt pretty good already that it would be outstanding.

Then we arrived at our first stop, a factory that makes Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of Italian Cheeses. Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style II, Parmigiano Reggiano

Part 2 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
Part 3 of 3: Explore Italian Food, Bologna Style, Aceto Balsamico

Malasada Fills Your Sugary, Fluffly, Deep-Fried Cravings in Hawaii

May 13, 2016 By Jessica McAvoy 1 Comment

If you love fried dough, the warm brown paper bag they hand you should make your heart flutter. Oil will have already started to bleed through the little sack. The malasada feels heavy and warm in your hand and the yeasty sweet smell whirls around you. I warn you, this post is just a selfish, gluttonous look at my favorite sweet treat on the Big Island of Hawaii. There is no content here, just pure indulgence.

This, my friend, is what you experience when you are handed your first malasada at TEX Drive-In.

Chocolate Malasada from TEX Drive-In

Crispy on the outside and fluffy-flaky on the inside. The best and only way to enjoy one is fresh. TEX Drive-In in Honoka’a is where we go when we have a sweet craving–and yes, we are nuts because they are 45 minutes away. You can watch the production process live through a plexiglass wall. This yeast-based deep-fried dough arrived with the Portuguese plantation workers in the 1870’s. A finely crystalized sugar coats the exterior. Traditionalists say no filling. I say yes, please. Chocolate or vanilla custard, and tropical jellies like guava, lilikoi (passion fruit), and mango all please the palate.

And yes, TEX Drive-In has a food menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring local cuisine. And nope, we never have a plate lunch. Just malasada fix.

$Tex Drive In Kitchen$

Malasada making magic happening at TEX Drive-In

6 Reasons to Visit Conegliano on Your Next Italian Vacation

November 18, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy Leave a Comment

Travelers to Italy’s Veneto region often pass through on a mission to Venice, missing out on the beauty and splendor of the area. This makes Conegliano all the more worth a stop. It is unspoiled and quiet with very few tourists. With a compact historic center, a pedestrian-friendly sprawl surrounding, and a convenient train station, Conegliano is an excellent place to plant yourself and take a few days trips, or just absorb Italian life. There are many reasons that this gem is one of my favorite cities in Italy.

Here are my top six reasons to visit Conegliano on your next Italian Vacation.

6. Conegliano Art

A town in the grips of the powerhouse Venice in its prime, Conegliano has a rich history which means lots of investments in the arts and culture. It is the birthplace of painter Giovanni Battista, known as Cima da Conegliano. Renaissance painter of many religious stories, one masterpiece remains in town, Madonna with Child Enthroned with Saints (La Madonna in Trono e Santi), located in the 15th century Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata e San Leonardo. To the left of the Duomo is the Scuola dei Battuti, home to the Sala dei Battuti and an engulfing space covered in frescoes. The hours to visit are finicky, and usually only open on Sundays, however outside the door is a phone number you can call to make a reservation.

Frescoes have defied time and mother nature here. You can still see portions on the exteriors of many of the buildings throughout the historic center. That’s right, on the exteriors! Up the hill and overlooking the town is a tower which is all that remains of the castle. Now home to a small Civic Museum, it contains a few gem paintings, fresco fragments, and some archaeological finds. The view of the region from up top is outstanding so take the fifteen-minute walk up and stop in the bar at the top for a glass of Prosecco. If the Prosecco doesn’t already reward you, the 360-degree view at the top of the tower will.

Fresco on the exterior facade of Conegliano’s Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata e San Leonardo

5. Veneto Wine Region – Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene

The Veneto, my friends, is the land of Prosecco, a beautiful DOCG (highest quality classification) wine which comes in three varieties – tranquillo or still, frizzante or slightly sparkling, and spumante or full of sparkle. Conegliano is home to Italy’s most prestigious school of wine, and a viticultural institute where many grape varieties have been bred and a number of native varieties have been saved. It is also from here that you can start the meandering Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene. These two intoxicating (only for the passenger) drives take you right through the heart of the Prosecco growing vineyards. As with most regions in Italy, in general, wineries take guests by appointment so make sure and grab a map from your hotel and ask them to assist you in planning the day. If you find yourself without reservations anywhere don’t fret, the drive is beautiful, and in every cafe and restaurant, you are sure to be offered a lovely glass of the local pour.

View of the Veneto region from the top of the tower.

4. Conegliano for Festivals and Events

Throughout the year the people of Conegliano are always finding joy in life and a reason to celebrate. Of course, due to the Prosecco, almost monthly you can find an event in the region celebrating this beautiful wine. All the wine festivities culminate the last week of September with the “Autumn Coneglianese” or a grape festival featuring hundreds of wines and the region’s most distinguished vineyards present for tasting. Each June you can bare witness to the “Living Draughts Game,” or a live chess game with people playing the part of the pieces. During the festival, a Renaissance atmosphere is throughout town. There are also tons of small events happening almost weekly such as a Jazz fest throughout the winter, and music, performance, craft, and food festivals throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Whichever season you find yourself in the neighborhood there is sure to be a reason to celebrate life with the locals.

Lion fresco on the Belvedere Dal Vera entry into the historic center of Conegliano.

3. Amazing Drives and Day-trips Near Conegliano

As I mentioned above, Conegliano is the starting point for the Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene taking you on a lovely drive through some of the world’s most beautiful wine country. Located at the foothills of the great Dolomite Mountains, when you head out from Conegliano you can quickly find yourself on scenic drives that would put anyone in awe. Full of grand vistas, grazing cows, switchbacks by the dozens, and the opportunity to stop in beautiful little mountain side villages for a bite to eat and an afternoon caffè corretto (espresso with a shot of grappa) these rides are well worth some of your time. Within half an hour to an hour drive, you can find yourself in the more tourist-filled towns of the Veneto region such as Verona, the many towns on the east side of Lake Garda, Padua, and of course, Venice.

Beautiful sky during a scenic drive in the Veneto region near Conegliano.

2. Venice – Close Enough, Yet Far Enough Away from Conegliano

Venice is magical and if you have not stayed over night, you must at least once… preferably during the off-season (November until right before Carnevale except for between Christmas and New Years). After one stay you can leave the over inflated prices to the masses. From that point on day-tripping is the way to go and Conegliano is the last stop of a direct train line into Venice which makes it a painless45-minute train ride and just a few bucks. Recently we took a train around 7:45 am, arrived in Venice by 8:30 am, visited the Gallerie dell’Accademia and Scuola San Rocco nearly by ourselves, and stopped for a cafe and dolce. We dropped by the Guggenheim, and by the time we were finished the crowds became crushing, and we were ready to head out. We grabbed a quick slice of pizza, and we were on our way back before most people even disembarked their cruise ship. The train is so quick and easy you could base yourself in Conegliano for a few days and drop in and out of Venice many times to see the sights without blowing your entire trip’s budget on accommodation and dining. We were back in Conegliano in the late afternoon to enjoy a delicious dinner of authentic food at realistic prices.

Venice at night is magical once, after that leave the overpriced accommodation and food to the masses.

1. Cuisine

Which brings me to my favorite part of Conegliano – the cuisine. Everywhere we select seems to be fantastic. Wander down the portico covered walkways and peek into any restaurant and your senses come to life. Most of the area spots pride themselves on the use of fresh, local ingredients. We have two particular favorites. Al Salisa is located at Via XX Settembre 2/4 and focuses on typical regional cuisine. To note is the house-made burrata with a firm mozzarella exterior and soft, supple, creamy center, and the tagliatelle alla selvaggina with wonderful homemade pasta and a ragu full of the flavors of all the game meats incorporated.

Our second favorite is Trattoria Citta’ Di Venezia, a lovely seafood restaurant and osteria located at Via XX Settembre 77/79. Fresh ingredients and beautiful presentation along with friendly staff make this a favorite stop for us. The mix vegetable side dish is outstanding in the summer with fresh herbs bringing the flavors to life and always a treat is the mini octopus starter.

Burrata at Al Salisa

Where Do We Stay?

Hotel Cannon d’Oro, a Best Western hotel located in the heart of the old city is our favorite spot to stay. Family owned and operated, all of the staff are just lovely and helpful. There is gated parking onsite with some spots under overhangs making them great for travelers by motorcycle. They are also a “cycle” hotel with amenities that gear specifically to travelers on bicycles such as a bicycle wash, maintenance area, safe bicycle lock space, and a hearty breakfast with meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, fruits, and cereals. The rooms and beds are super comfortable and clean.

Truffle Hunting Istria with the Karlic Family

November 16, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy 1 Comment

Truffle in English, tartufo in Italian, truffe in French, tartuf in Croatian, gastronomic heaven in Foodie.

One of the first things I tend to eat when I arrive in Italy is something with truffles. Although we can purchase almost anything in NY, truffles are one food that are widely un-affordable to even consider in our foodie loving kitchen. I don’t care how much you love to eat, the prices are ridiculous. White truffles are so high in value, they are priced by the gram. How expensive is too expensive for my kitchen? A quick search on eataly.com shows around $168 for 4 oz of black truffles to around $965 for 4 oz of white and at that price range they are out of the question in my kitchen. Not the case in Umbria though where a mere 9 euros gets you a nice walnut sized tuber. A mere 9 euros. We were eating them almost as much as gelato. Well, ok, not quite, but you get the point.

Not being able to get our hands on truffles at home is ok as some foods are more memorable when ingested in the right surroundings listening to the dancing of a foreign language in your ear. If you have never had the pleasure of experiencing a real truffle (and I do not speak of truffle oil – most do not even contain truffles but a chemical) know this – it smells pretty much like the bottom of a laundry basket that had sweaty gym clothes festering for a few days (or even weeks – I have not had white truffles yet but have been told the smell is far more intense than black). How did I come to love the distinctive taste? On first bite it is earthy or what you would imagine eating the forest floor would taste like, but as your saliva mingles with oils of the tuber so many layers of flavorful nuances appear. Hints of syrup, flowers, nuts and honey, and time, and place, and memory…

We had wanted to go on a truffle hunt. We love seeing how and where our food comes from. We were interested in how this tuber became gastronomic gold and why in all of the large, vast, United States truffles (at least not outstanding ones) are not harvested. While we were in Italy we simply ran out of time.

Discover black truffles during truffle hunting Istria.

A black truffle discovered by the Karlić family’s newest pup.

Istria is home to some of the finest fungus in the world.

When we arrived in Istria, Croatia I spotted tartuf on the menu and quickly learned Istria is home to some of the finest fungus found in the world. Istria is a heart shaped peninsula in northwest region of Croatia, and within it lies the Motovun Forest, a perfect environment for the elusive white truffle, as well as 3 varieties of black truffle. White truffles are harvested from September until January, black truffles year round. One of our new Croatian friends told us about the Karlić family and set us up to go on a truffle hunt with them. Three generations and over fifty years of experience, this is the family for truffle hunting Istria with!

Truffles are tubers that grow completely underground in close relationship to the roots of oak, hazel, poplar, and beech trees. The human senses have no way of discovering it; for that you need a specially trained dog. The scent of the truffle develops after the spores are matured and this indicates when the taste has developed. Harvest too soon and the tuber will be tasteless. Well trained dogs (and pigs in some locations) can sniff out these tubers when they ready.

We were greeted by Kristina and she led us through the history of the family and told us about truffles and the environment needed for them to grow. We enjoyed a beautiful spread of local cheeses, meats, salsas, honeys, and all sorts of delicious truffle infused foods. Kristina showed us a platter full of shaved truffles. All of these would comprise the scrambled eggs that the two of us would be served. ALL OF THESE SHAVED TRUFFLES!!

Then the moment of wow as she brought to the table a platter of eggs with more truffle than I will ever see again in my lifetime.

Truffle hunting Istria tantalizes all the senses.

Truffles gently folded inside and mounded on top. It was hot out, I was full, and yet could not stop eating them. Then, with our stomachs bursting it was time to hunt.

Scrambled eggs heaping with fresh truffle at Karlić Tartufi.

The excitement from the dogs is contagious. Ivan opened the back of the car the dogs all started jumping for joy in their pens. For this hunt, Ivan selected two beautiful off white dogs, and a young pup of under a year old that he had been training. They rushed to the car and nearly knocked each other over to get in. We drove a few minutes down the road to the family’s private forest.

There was no need to coax the dogs to get to work. They had a task to do and as soon as the door opened they were off. We we rushed with adrenaline and did not want to miss any of the action. It was a 107 degrees out in the thick humid forest, and I can assure you we did our best to keep up but they were like lightning. Within five minutes the new pup bolted to a tree and began ferociously digging and found a nice small black truffle. Then the competition began and the two older ladies really kicked it into gear quickly finding another. Following the second find the dogs, and us, were hot and exhausted so we headed back to the house. We chatted with Ivan and Kristina about how they train the dogs.

Karlić Tartufi dogs entering the thick forest truffle hunting Istria.

Karlić Tartufi dogs entering the thick forest to hunt for truffles.

We ate a lot of truffles that day. More than I ever imagined I would have in a lifetime. Since we were traveling by motorcycle we had very limited space but managed to fit one small jar of truffle salt in the side case that I use often. As we finished up our experience that day we met a lovely family from Canada about to begin theirs. We found ourselves lost in conversation with them, and the Karlić Family, and enjoyed spending the summer afternoon in such wonderful company. Each time I sprinkle my salt I remember back to the beautiful experience and warm conversations we had on a hot July day outside Buzet. I have been truffle spoiled, and boy, my taste-buds, and memory, have thanked me.

Karlić Tartufi is located at Paladini 14 near Buzet. The family hunts daily and also has a beautiful truffle and local products shop on their property. Call them at +385 52 667 304, email tartuf@vip.hr, or visit http://karlictartufi.hr/en/ for more information.

Gourmet Mustard Tour Beaune France

August 23, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy 1 Comment

I must confess – until only five or six years ago I was not much of a mustard fan. In fact, I despised the look, taste, smell and texture of mustard. Growing up I knew only two; Gulden’s and French’s. Then I started cooking. I started watching cooking instructional shows and reading cookbooks not just for recipes but for the fun of reading them.

A funny thing happened. I became a food snob. Oh, yea, and I started to love gourmet mustard. Powders, seeds, and even the full on condiment.

Entrance to La Moutarderie Fallot

I know Burgundy first and foremost for wine. The picturesque walled city of Beaune is unofficially the capital of Burgundy wines and it is where you find the Hospices de Beaune known for its wine auction, painted terracotta roof tiles, and home to the Beaune Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden. We should have known that Burgundy is also home to incredibly good gourmet mustard. After all, the region’s capital is Dijon.

Gourmet Mustard Tour at La Moutarderie Fallot in Burgundy

La Moutarderie Fallot, or the Fallot gourmet mustard mill, is located a 5 minute walk outside the Beaune city walls. Around the turn of the 19th century there were over 300 mills producing mustard in Burgundy. Today, just 4 total – 3 in Dijon and La Moutarderie Fallot remains the last in Beaune.

Mustard paste in its basic condiment form is produced with mustard seeds, vinegar, and salt. Additional spices, herbs, or flavorings are added to create a wide range of tastes. During the middle ages what separated the producers of Dijon and Beaune from others was the use of verjuice (an acidic grape juice produced from unripe grapes) instead of vinegar. The mustard paste itself is a chemical reaction. When you taste mustard seeds they will first be rather tasteless, similar to when you eat poppy seeds. Then, after a few moments as the chemical reaction between your saliva and the seeds occur, the flavors explode in your mouth.

All parts of the plant are edible – seeds, flower, stems, and leaves. There are more than 40 varieties ranging in color from pale white to dark black. Fallot uses only dark seeds in production which provide the spiciest flavor. After tasting seeds guests of the tour are presented with seeds, salt, vinegar and a mortise and pestle and invited to take a crack at making mustard! The fruits of our labors were a little dull and bitter – turns out the chemical reaction takes a few hours.

Mixing gourmet mustard seeds, vinegar, and salt on the Fallot tour

Mixing Mustard Seeds, Vinegar, and Salt

Mustard plants grow best in soil rich in potash. Burgundy woodlands would be burned to create charcoal, and the charcoal makers would plant the seeds once the ashes were cleared. Once demand for charcoal ceased it was no longer economically viable for the region to continue growing the crop. Since just prior to WWI most of the seeds are imported to France from Canada. There are however a few small plots of the mustard plant being revitalized in the region. Fallot’s Moutarde De Bourgogne is produced using only seeds from the region in an effort to keep the tradition alive.

We were impressed that being we were the only two non-French speakers on the gourmet mustard tour, the guide took the time to translate everything for us for the first half. The second half of the experience includes looking at historic equipment used in production and comes with an audio guide that instantly turns on when you are within a few inches of the equipment, and changes automatically as you move in. The tour wraps up with tasting various mustard varieties on breads, pâtés, and crudites, and they send you off with a small jar for at home.

Mustard Seeds

The location also has a tasting house where you can try any of their varieties and of course make purchases. Some varieties produced by Fallot include tarragon, basil, gingerbread, currant, honey, pinot noir, truffle, and many others… all delicious! The tour is 10€ a person and must be booked in advance by calling 03 80 22 10 10, emailing accueil@fallot.com, or stopping by the tourist information in the center of Beaune. 31 Faubourg Bretonnière, Beaune, France.

Wide variety of gourmet mustard to taste and purchase at Fallot in Beaune, France

Wide Variety of Mustard to Taste and Purchase