The truffle producers from Umbria supply 75 countries.
Fine food merchant Dario Bianchi was initiated into the mysteries of the black truffle in Umbria.
June 2026
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Italians have always known what a valuable gift their culinary art represents to humanity. Since last year, this has now been officially certified: UNESCO has recognized “cucina italiana” as an intangible World Heritage Site. This honor was bestowed upon truffle hunting four years prior. It celebrates centuries of knowledge, comprehensive ecological understanding, deep connection to nature, and the harmonious collaboration between the tartufai, the truffle hunters, and their specially trained dogs. Image above: from left, Dario Bianchi, Corin Schmid (“Drei Stuben”, Zurich), dog trainer Candida, Bruno Araujo, Bill Stooss and Joshua Bieri (“Casino”, Bern) with truffle dog Selli.
Dario Bianchi with freshly harvested black truffles from Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
Dario Bianchi with freshly harvested black truffles from Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
Umbria: A Global Hub. Alba in Piedmont is world-famous for its white truffles, the most expensive delicacy in the world. Less known as a truffle paradise is Umbria, the green region in central Italy, where black, summer, and winter truffles have provided a livelihood for locals for centuries. For more than 170 years, the local truffle business has been in the hands of the Urbani family. They process 270 tons of truffles annually, sourced from Italy and Europe, exporting to 75 countries and controlling around 70 percent of the global market.
Truffle walk: The “Bianchi team” on the move in an Urbani plantation.
Truffle walk: The “Bianchi team” on the move in an Urbani plantation.
The fifth generation! A pungent, highly aromatic cloud of scent constantly hovers over the ultra-modern facility in the village of Sant’Anatolia di Narco. From this global truffle headquarters near the charming, historic town of Spoleto, the fine food merchant Bianchi AG has long sourced its precious tubers. “We specialize in fish and seafood – hence the lobster in our company logo. But of course, we also have truffles in our range for our customers in top gastronomy,” explains Dario Bianchi, Co-CEO for five years, together with his cousin Luca. “We are connected to the Urbanis by a long tradition; in both companies, the fifth generation is at the helm.”
Christmas Feast. Dario is the company’s expert for finance and meat – and a truffle fan! “I love truffles. I am particularly fascinated by the white ones. It’s a mystery that they cannot be cultivated.” In normal weeks, around thirty kilograms arrive in Zufikon, Aargau; in December, it’s around two hundred kilograms. “In winter, we also buy every kilogram of white truffle from Urbani that we can get,” Bianchi recounts. “After a few calls to the star chefs, the expensive cargo is always gone – thankfully! A lot of money is involved.” At Urbani’s, the noble tubers are on the table almost daily: “Every Urbani certainly eats twenty to thirty kilograms a year,” estimates Olga Urbani. “I consider a life without truffles possible, but utterly meaningless and devoid of pleasure.”
Climate change is affecting the rare truffle, with stocks drastically dwindling.
Climate change is affecting the rare truffle, with stocks drastically dwindling.
Noses like the dog Selli sniff out the fungi up to 30 centimeters deep.
Noses like the dog Selli sniff out the fungi up to 30 centimeters deep.
Freshly shaved black truffle turns simple pasta into a feast.
Freshly shaved black truffle turns simple pasta into a feast.
Sensitivity and Experience. The two Bianchi representatives and the three accompanying young chefs are shown on site exactly how the noble fungus is harvested. The experienced tartufaia and dog trainer Candida brought the seasoned Selli, a Pointer mix, for the search operation. The dog races up and down the slope with rows of man-high oaks and hazelnut bushes, ears flying. She scrapes near the trunks, carefully retrieves the egg-sized black tubers from the earth, holds them loosely in her half-open jaw, and retrieves her valuable finds for her mistress. For every truffle, Selli receives much praise, petting, and pieces of sausage. Due to the large crowd and lunchtime – truffle hunting usually takes place at dawn – Selli is nervous and soon out of breath. However, she found almost a pound of the rare treasure within a short time. Pure luck? No! The unusually large yield has a good reason: Selli searched in a plantation where a fungus grows under almost every tree.
Fifth Generation! Managing Director Olga Urbani leads the traditional company.
Fifth Generation! Managing Director Olga Urbani leads the traditional company.
Urbani has been processing truffles for more than 170 years and exports them to 70 countries.
Urbani has been processing truffles for more than 170 years and exports them to 70 countries.
Truffle Experts: Dario Bianchi in conversation with Managing Director Carlo Urbani.
Truffle Experts: Dario Bianchi in conversation with Managing Director Carlo Urbani.
Vaccination for Saplings. The plantation is a pioneering achievement of Urbani, and the cultivation of truffles is their innovation. This was long considered impossible – and it still is for white truffles. But it worked for black truffles. “After years of literally losing a lot of money with ‘try and error’,” says Olga Urbani about her son Francesco’s project. Because truffles are becoming rarer and stocks are dramatically shrinking, the Urbanis took action. It was clear to them that they had to help nature if they wanted to continue finding truffles for themselves and the world. Climate change, dwindling animal populations, and dense forests make survival difficult for the noble fungus. In the huge greenhouses of the company TruffleLand, saplings inoculated with spores are now being grown. Already 100,000 young trees have been planted in Italy and Europe. Truffles grow very, very slowly at their roots. The supply from Umbria is secured for Bianchi AG.