Truffle hunters who train dogs to sniff out highly prized tubers growing in muddy woods had their skills honoured by the UN.
Earlier this year UNESCO added Italian truffle hunting to it's “intangible” cultural heritage list.
UNESCO said the skill of Italy’s 70,000 truffle hunters who carefully lever their finds out of the soil “respects ecological balance and plant biodiversity, ensuring the seasonal regeneration of the truffle species”.
Growing close to the roots of pines, oaks and cork trees, truffles are smooth if found in soft soil or knobbly in hard earth.
