Truffle Hunting in the Land of "Molisn’t"

Our unexpected adventure in Italy’s best-kept secret

Has it ever happened to you that you travel to a place expecting it to be just meh, but then it completely BLOWS YOU AWAY?

That’s exactly what happened to us when we visited one of Italy’s least-known regions, Molise.

Italians, including the locals, often joke about Molise to the point that not long ago, the phrase Molise non esiste (Molise doesn’t exist) went viral on social media, even leading to the creation of the term "Molisn’t."

Here’s something about Molise that totally surprised us and had us falling head over heels.

Ready?

Molise is one of Italy’s top producers of truffles. Yes, you read that right … Molise and truffles! Its incredibly fertile land is home to the prized white truffle as well as several varieties of black truffle. Who knew?!

So, of course, we had to go truffle hunting!

Meet the star of the show, Axle, a truffle-trained Lagotto Romagnolo.

Have you ever heard of this breed?

The Lagotto Romagnolo, originally from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, is famous for its curly, water-resistant coat and endless energy. This ancient breed was once used as a water retriever, but today, it’s celebrated for its exceptional sense of smell. In fact, it’s the only dog breed in the world specialized in truffle hunting.

Can you guess what we did AFTER truffle hunting?

Exactly!