By RIA Novosti
Madrid : An annual truffle-hunting competition has been held in Spain’s northern province of Soria, the Diario de Leon newspaper said on Monday.
A total of 11 truffle hunters, also called ‘trufflers,’ representing eight Spanish provinces, took part in the competition, which was held in a mountainous area near the Barranco de Abejar neighborhood. They were accompanied by special ‘truffle hounds.’
A local professional truffle hunter was announced the winner of the competition after finding four mushrooms.
The truffle festival continued in the evening, when a competition among Spanish master cooks for the best truffle dish was held.
“The jury preferred eggs, stuffed with these mushrooms – a traditional dish of the Soria province,” the newspaper said.
The black truffle, traditionally found in the north of Spain and Italy, and in southern France, is an expensive delicacy, with a price of nearly 3,600 euros ($5,300) per kg in Spanish markets.
Dogs, or pigs, are usually used in truffle hunting. Each animal has its drawbacks – dogs usually lose their sense of smell after two hours of search, while pigs attempt to eat any truffle that they find.