Truffle hunting involves professional hunters and rigorously trained dogs, and is a profession passed down from generation to generation, requiring the utmost skills. But to find a white truffle weighing a record 1.5 kilos (1.450 grams, to be exact), luck also plays a hand! The lucky Tuscan was Luciano Savini, a noted truffle hunter in the San Miniato area in the province of Pisa. He and his dog Rocco plucked from the humid soil the largest giant Tuber Magnatum Picum in history. As soon as the truffle was found, another hunt ensued: Mr. Savini was flooded with offers to buy the white truffle, including one of 100,000 euros! Instead, Mr. Savini decided to donate the truffle to the Tuscany International White Truffle Auction. The sale was held in Florence on December 1st in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, and the proceeds will go to charity.
