Truffle sniffing in Tannzapfenland

Who would have thought that fine truffles grow in Tannzapfenland ? They are often considered far away and exotic, but the precious tubers also thrive on Swiss soil. And some of them especially in idyllic Tannzapfenland in Thurgau.

The Tannzapfenland

A fairytale land - hilly and lushly wooded. This beautiful region in Hinterthurgau is the southernmost part of the canton and is nestled between Wil and Winterthur. Immerse yourself in an enchanting area of spruce and beech trees, as well as mighty silver firs. The largest fir tree in the canton can also be found there in the land of cones: it measures almost 50 meters and belongs to the Fischingen forest district. It has a full 200 years on its branches. But it's not just the fir trees that thrive in Tannzapfenland. Chamois are also reproducing magnificently - whole herds are spotted from time to time. It's just right, in fairytale land.

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Lots of pine cones, and even truffles here and there

Eveline Bänziger lets her dog - a Lagotto Romagnolo - sniff for truffles. Her name is Lady and she is a real truffle heroine. The Lagotto is a perfect working dog because it is resilient, likes to work hard and has an endless need to please. Its excellent sense of smell enables it to sniff out truffles at great distances. He roams forests, photographs the area with his nose and creates olfactory maps that make his searches accurate and precise. This is why it is also known as the "king of the forest".

"The queen of tubers."

The truffle sniffer

But there are no truffle sniffers for nothing - even if the breed fits. Eveline Bänziger brought her lady from France five years ago. There she discovered the joy of searching for the fine mushroom and also went stalking at home. She persistently hiked over hill and dale. Until her lady was no longer just sniffing out mice, but the finest Burgundy truffles. Today, Eveline is a professional. She knows where and Lady knows how. If a truffle is within sniffing distance, Lady stalks off and digs like crazy in the place of happiness. Always nose first, she digs until she gets what she wants. Eveline is on the spot when the dog proudly holds her find out to her. Now it's time to move fast, otherwise the Burgundy truffle will end up in Lady's stomach and not in Eveline's truffle bag. Good dog! Let's move on. On a good day, the two of them bring home a bag full.

Symbiosis at its finest

Truffles grow underground. The fine fungal threads of the truffle attach themselves to the root end of the host tree. This creates an exchange of nutrients. Thanks to its woolly structure, the fungus ensures that the tree can absorb more water. The tree in turn supplies the fungus with carbohydrates, which it produces through photosynthesis. Win-win. A symbiosis at its best.

"On a good day, we both bring home a full bag"

Eveline's aperitif rolls

It is a celebration when Eveline and her search dog Lady bring home their precious goods. Because a joy shared is a joy doubled, friends get to enjoy this delicacy once a year. The truffle hunter reveals a simple favorite recipe with which she treats her guests to an aperitif.

The legendary Bichelsee

Bichelsee is a true pearl of a lake, nestled between gentle hills and offering a cross-border bathing experience: the cantonal border with Zurich runs directly behind the kiosk at the Bichelsee lido. Wondrous stories about this legendary spot date back to the 12th century. Back then, there was apparently no Bichelsee, but instead an oak forest that belonged to a pious widow. A mean neighbor stole the forest from her and although she complained, she was not listened to and cursed the stolen forest: the earth shook, a terrible storm broke out, fiery signs threatened in the sky and when a new day dawned, a lake spread out in the place of the forest. For a long time, the fishing nets tore at the oaks, which were deeply rooted in the depths, so the story goes.

"Near Bologna, a truffle hunter found what is probably the largest edible mushroom in the world. His dog tracked down a white truffle weighing 1.483 kilograms - a sensation."

Of pigs and porky expensive truffles

Why the pigs find truffles is easy to answer. They smell like a boar that is ready to mate. This is why sexually mature female pigs are also suitable for truffle hunting. In theory, that is. After all, who would wander through the forest with a pig? However, sometimes the wild boars put a spanner in the works for the local truffle hunters. The quicker the better. And sometimes the pig was lucky.

The Swiss tuber boom

Switzerland is not known as a truffle region, with Piedmont or southwest France scoring higher. But the Swiss tubers are catching up. There has been a modest truffle boom in this country for a few years now. Although, like Eveline Bänziger, you can acquire the necessary knowledge and equip yourself with a search dog, truffle hunting is not an easy way to make a quick buck. The Burgundy truffle, which is widespread in Switzerland, costs around 800 francs per kilo. Restaurants have to dig ten times deeper into their wallets for the white truffle, the most expensive and rarest type of truffle, which can be found in the wild but not in Thurgau .

Black gold in Thurgau

Patience is like the truffle itself, you have to look for them for a while before you find them. A few years ago, Jürg Truninger decided to go beyond strawberries and cherries and invested in a truffle plantation on the Seerücken. Six different types of truffles grow on his plantations with around 700 inoculated trees. Because caring for the trees requires an enormous amount of time, patience and even more money, truffle sponsors can contribute to the costs and are once allowed to harvest truffles and have fun at truffle events on Truninger's farm. These events can also be booked exclusively for groups: Those interested can go on a truffle hunt with Nubia and then enjoy the finds over an aperitif, a forest fondue or a barbecue.

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