The Molise region is increasingly becoming the new destination for truffle hunters and enthusiasts in Italy. A trend, which has not yet clearly emerged, but which "risks", in the long term, of overshadowing even the more well-known and famous Dawn in Piedmont. To date, in fact, Molise has 40% of the national truffle collection and 80% of the production is exported. A little-known economic fact and with a very important value because it can count on a very valuable product that few other regions can have: Molise is in fact far from any infiltration and industrial pollution. It is the market trend that registers and communicates "MoliseFood", a project to promote food and wine and tourist quality aimed at making "Made in Molise" known, with employment development in the coming months: a possibility that will give a breath of fresh air to regional and national economy in this period of health emergency caused by Covid-19.
The “MoliseFood” entrepreneurial project, born two years ago with the involvement of around 20 farms and a basket of excellent food and wine products and regional identities, can count on a current development plan which sees three food and wine stores open in Rome and a fourth in the pipeline in the Parioli area of the capital, with the aim of expanding in Italy (Milan, Bologna), Europe (a store is already active in Spain, in Seville) and in the United States, without forgetting the Chinese market, in compliance with the rules governing the health emergency.
From the report of "MoliseFood" it emerges that in the Molise area the production of truffles is 50 quintals between Bianchetto and others, while that of white is between 30 and 70 quintals. That of black summer truffle is 300 quintals per year. From a territorial point of view, the white truffle is very frequent in the humid valleys located in the innermost areas of Isernia and Campobasso. In particular, the best known areas for the presence of white truffles are Carovilli, S. Pietro Avellana and Capracotta, in the province of Isernia, and Bojano in the province of Campobasso.
In the driest areas of Molise, on the other hand, Scorzone is harvested, a globe-shaped truffle, with the exterior called black rind with warts in the shape of pyramids lined in a transversal manner. The pulp varies from light hazelnut to brown in color and is crossed by numerous white veins. In the same area there is also the Uncinato, a black truffle with pyramid-shaped warts, the pulp is initially whitish then becomes hazelnut and finally brownish.
A constantly growing trend and "most of the 87 restaurateurs of Molise origin who operate in Rome - reports Francesco Caterina, general manager of MoliseFood - have chosen our shops to buy truffles".
