We Will Miss You Paolo

Paolo Urbani (1931 – 2010) who brought Italian truffles to the world died in Umbria on June 17 at 78.

He was nick named ”Re del Tartufo” in Italian or in English “The King of Truffles”. His family firm is Urbani Tartufi, which his ancestors founded in the 19th Century. The firm, which Paolo ran with his brother Bruno, was one of the first major truffle merchants and today claims 70% of the world market for both black and white truffles. 

The coveted fungi grow on the roots of oaks and other trees have a history stretching back to classical times.  In the modern era, air travel made it easier to expand sales of the highly perishable truffles to the world. In the beginning of distribution to America, Vespa riding boys, picked up the truffles from Kennedy airport and rushed them to New York City restaurants. Today truffles flow through the regular network of distributors where their popularity is straining the supply side.

In the common imagination, pigs still hunt for truffles, but in actuality, dogs have replaced pigs as the hunters’ animal sleuths. Pigs like to eat truffles almost as much as people do and the high priced shrinkage and other losses were becoming unacceptable. Old Truffle hunters known as “cavatori” or extractors used to be recognized by their missing fingers, lost wrestling product from the truffle pigs. Dogs are better team players.

Sourcing more wild truffles directly was difficult because the locations of the actual productive trees are a closely guarded secret. To promote further growth, Urbani had to get creative. Urbani first organized the purchasing process by building a network of buyers throughout Italy to supply them with truffles. But even with prices for prime white truffles topping $3,000 an ounce, demand continued to grow.

Technology has helped some too. The bidding process among the small army of extractors, is managed online now and by 9 AM Paolo knew how many truffles had been found in France, Italy & Spain and what the asking prices were. But still demand grew, out-stripping the wild sources. To improve availability, Mr. Urbani pioneered truffle cultivation. Before his death he was optimistic about its prospects. Today over half of Italy’s production of Black Truffles are cultivated. The more pricey white truffles are still hunted and harvested the old fashioned way.  

I was fortunate enough to run across some Urbani Truffle Butter in New York state and had an impromptu wake. You too may want to celebrate the life of this culinary pioneer. 

P Chef