Istria: Truffle Hunting & Cooking Tour with Karlić Family

4.96

(255 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone hands me a tiny glass of something sharp and golden—truffle brandy, apparently—and I’m still trying to figure out if I like it when Mrs. Karlić waves us over. We’re in Paladini, just outside Motovun. The air smells like wet leaves and woodsmoke, and there’s this gentle fuss as the truffle dogs bounce around, tails smacking our legs. Our guide (I think her name was Maja?) laughs at my shoes—“city shoes!” she says—and then we’re off into the forest behind the dogs, everyone a bit awkward at first but loosening up quick.

The ground is soft underfoot, and you can hear the dogs snuffling through the roots. There’s this moment where one of them freezes—nose pressed to the earth—and suddenly everyone goes quiet. You’d think finding a truffle would be dramatic, but it’s almost shy; someone brushes away dirt and there it is, pale and knobbly in their palm. I didn’t expect to feel so giddy about fungus. Later back at the house we get a crash course on Istrian truffles—how they grow, why they’re so prized here—and then someone cracks eggs for lunch. Scrambled eggs with fresh truffle shavings right in front of us; honestly I still think about that taste.

I tried to help grate truffles for dessert (truffles in chocolate? Who knew), but mostly just made a mess while Grandma poured more homemade wine. There’s this easy warmth in their kitchen—everyone sharing food, stories slipping between Croatian and English, people laughing at my pronunciation (fair enough). Before we left we ducked into their little museum; it’s not fancy but you can see how much pride they take in this tradition. The whole thing felt less like a tour and more like being invited into someone’s home for an afternoon—which is maybe why it stuck with me.