Ryan | 21 September 2009

With the 2009 white truffle season fast approaching, truffle hunters across the Italian country side are preparing for what they hope will be a record year. Referred to as the "diamond of the kitchen", truffles are as mysterious as they are prized. Fetching hundreds or even thousands of Euros per kilo, these difficult to find gems are rarely enjoyed outside of upscale European restaurants. Adding the optional truffle shavings to a dish in these places can easily add hundreds to the price of a meal. International actions have seen absurdly high prices paid for each season's largest truffle, a few years ago, $330,000 was paid by a casino owner in Macau for a 1.5kg prize.

The astronomical prices are related to scarcity. Truffles (scientifically named Tuber) are nearly impossible to cultivate, grow naturally only a short period each year, and are difficult to find in the wild. Growing underground, man would not be able to find these culinary delights without the help of a hunting partner possessing a more acute sense of smell. Both dogs and pigs used for the task, but dogs are often preferred as the pigs are more likely to eat the truffles they find!

The team at gourmetKAZOO is excited to be the first online solution allowing customers to purchase the freshest truffles directly over the web! Through the gourmetKAZOO platform, truffle hunters will have an easy way to display and sell truffles that were dug-out of the ground just the night before. Through gourmetKAZOO's website , customers now have an easy way to find & purchase fresh truffles from the web when they aren't lucky enough to be visiting the Italian truffle markets & festivals in person. In addition, with gourmetKAZOO's global shipping contract with UPS, customers are able to have these treasures delivered directly to their door with overnight shipping.

One of the first truffle hunting families that we are working with is the Di Iorio family. For generations, this family has been hunting truffles in the Molise region of Italy, the same region where a record 1.05kg white truffle was found in 2008.

Vincenzo Di Iorio is carrying on his family's tradition and takes genuine pride in the business and it's reputation for quality. He is passionate about the product that he calls "un gem della natura" or a gem of nature.

According to Vincenzo, most if not all of the credit goes to their dogs. These are the real truffle hunters (a fact that has led to truffle dog kidnappings & ransom demands in the past!). He describes the moments he spends in the pre-dawn hours hunting the forest floors with his dogs as moments of great relaxation and peace. "The report developed between the hunter and his dog is something very special."

I tried asking Vincenzo the question no truffle hunter will answer... where do you find your truffles. Because truffles tend to grow in the same spots year-after-year, truffle hunters keep these places a closely guarded secret, usually going out hunting veiled by darkness of the night. Nonetheless, Vincenzo had this to share about his hunting grounds. "We find our truffles in the early hours of the morning in the woods where the man still has not damaged the natural ecosystem. These are wonderful places. The truffles live in symbiosis with plants such as oaks, poplars, hazels, willows and other conifers."

There has been much controversy in the truffle world surrounding the false labeling of non-Italian truffles & the sale of inferior quality truffles at inflated prices. I specifically asked Vincenzo about his view on this. His dedication to upholding the reputation of Italian truffles and the legacy of his family's business is clear. He explains "the scandal of imported truffles from China and other locations being sold as Italian truffles not only defrauds the consumers, but demoralizes all of us who are involved in preserving the name and reputation of the Italian truffle."

Through the gourmetKAZOO project, we are helping customers find and purchase from the truffle hunters who care about their reputation and dedication to quality. As producers become established on gourmetKAZOO, their reputation built on genuine customer reviews will speak for itself.

We are happy to be working with Vincenzo and hope to help consumers around the world discover and buy both his fresh truffles and his authentic truffle based products. You can learn more about Vincenzo and purchase directly from him by visiting his profile on gourmetKAZOO.

During the truffle season, gourmetKAZOO will be promoting fresh truffles.

Each fresh truffle will be available on the website until it is sold, or for up to 24 hours. Each order will be shipped EXPRESS using the gourmetKAZOO global contract with UPS.

To receive up-to-date notifications of all fresh truffles posted to gourmetKAZOO, follow our dedicated fresh truffle feed on twitter:

http://twitter.com/gktruffles