Yes, the food here is truly divine. As I tend to at least sample whatever the locals are eating, I have earned the reputation of being a rather adventuresome diner. Here are some samplings from the Tuscan pantry.
One Tuscan delicacy is porchetta, available in markets as well as in grocery stores.
(See also Market Day in Sinalunga post.)
Another is tartufi or truffles. Tuscany is one of the most important regions in Italy for truffle hunting. Here in Tuscany, one can enjoy the culinary treasure year round. However, there is the particular season (15 September - 15 December) for hunting the priceless white truffle, tartufo bianco. (One prized truffle reportedly fetched as much as $330,000!)
There also are several seasonal types of black truffles. We set off with Nico and his dog Gas in search of summer black truffles (Tuber Aestivum). Black Summer Truffles have a strong earthy flavor and aroma. Dogs such as Gas, not pigs, are used to hunt Tuscan tartufi.
Nico must pass an exam to earn a license to hunt truffles. He pays an annual fee for both the license and right to hunt truffles in the Montisi preserve (hence, our 25 euro pp fee)
Black truffles are most unattractive, resembling black warty potatoes. They are often buried under a foot of dirt, masking their distinct and pungent aroma. 
Later that evening, Nico and his wife Veronica came to the villa to serve us a homemade Tuscan meal that will forever be remembered - a real bargain at 40 euros per person!
The meal began with a year-long aged prosciutto crudo, made from boar that Nico and his buddy killed last year. 
This was accompanied by homemade cheeses: one an aged (hard) pecorino, the other a truffle-infused young (soft) pecorino, both drizzled with homemade balsamic.
Bread that Nico's mama made that day in her forno was provided.
The next course was egg with shaved tartufo, which Keith explained is a classic dish.
Veronica then explained how she made the pici pasta that morning.
Note: Pici is larger than spaghetti and is wonderfully chewy.
The pici pasta was served topped with a truffle sauce - tartufi cooked in EVOO and a bit of butter, then tossed in the pici, topped off with a bit of Grana Padano Parmigiano. Note: Nico is insistent that it not be served with pecorino, as that would overwhelm the flavor of the truffles.
The main course was cinghiale - wild boar that Nico shot himself. Nico explained that the cinghiale had been cooked for 5 hours with 5 spices: cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon, thyme and bay leaf as well as small quartered onions and 2 garlic cloves. Red wine was also somehow involved... Once at the villa, Nico heated this in a saucepan. He explained that this recipe is truly international in that his mother was born in the Black Forest region of Germany, his father hails from Calabrezi, and his wife is Tuscan. It was rich! 
Salad was next, consisting of garden vegetables drizzled with the homemade balsamic.
The meal ended with a chocolate profiterole (which, like the cinghiale, does not photograph well...).
Keith provided wonderful wines that paired quite nicely with the meal. These are the three reds. 
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