The truffle has been used for many years as one of the greatest enhancers to a dish available to chefs the world over. Its ability to uplift expensive cuisine and its exclusivity makes this ground-dwelling fungus particularly valuable. As with anything of high value, there is a seemingly ceaseless number who desire to discover it and become wealthy.

A must-have companion of the serious truffle hunter is either a pig or a dog. Pigs have the advantage of instinctively seeking out truffles whereas dogs must be trained. The downside is that pigs tend to eat the truffles, but dogs have more self-control. The dog of choice is the Romagna Water Dog.

The species available to the UK-based truffle hunter is the Black Summer Truffle which nestles under the roots of oak trees. These are typically worth about £1 per gram. You have to go abroad though if you hope to find the best specimen: the fabled Alba Madonna, which has been valued up to £110 per gram. This highly prized fungus is found in the forests around Alba, Italy and parts of the former Yugoslav states. Its high value is due to its rarity and its culinary value. The white truffle, as it is also known, also exists alongside beech and hazel trees and is best harvested in late autumn.

If one cannot find truffles growing wild, one may attempt to grow them. The best-known example of this is when Auguste Rousseau took acorns from the ground near trees where truffles once grew and managed to grow oak trees out of them. Truffles grew in abundance around his trees and so began the industry of truffle cultivation.