One of the many pleasures of travelling is to try out local produce and specialities of the area you’re visiting. Not only can you guarantee it’s at it’s freshest and best but there’s something about the food, wine and ambiance of any region that makes a harmonious whole and never seems quite the same when you get home. On top of that you can sometimes try delicacies that are too expensive to try at home but reasonably priced in their local area.

You may know the northern province of Istria in Croatia, for it’s wonderful coastline and clear green-blue sea but venture inland and you’ll find you’re in Truffle country. If you’ve never tried truffles, thinking they were too expensive or exclusive you’ve come to the right place to start, for this is where the biggest truffle in the world was found.

The heart of the truffle region is around the hill-top town of Motovan and the nearby village of Livade, where every October and November a truffle festival is held. Apparantly the river flowing therough the woodlands near Motovan make it a perfect moist environment for the truffles to thrive. The big name in truffles in this area is Zigante and if you go to Ligante, just before the turning for Motovan you’ll find their restaurant and shop entirely devoted to truffles. If you’re up for a blow-out meal with every course infused with truffles, then this is the place – and they even have some smart modern rooms where you can stay over if you want to make a big occasion of it. Otherwise, pop into the shop and buy some truffle infused oil or paste to try with pasta when you get home. They also have shops in Motovan itself and the nearby town of Grožnjan.

For a simpler taste of truffles you can check the menu in any of the local restaurants in this area – I tried some simple home-made pasta in a creamy sauce with truffle shavings over it. The pungant taste was a cross between garlic and mushrooms and it definitely lingered with me all afternoon.