Truffle hunting

L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, renowned for its antique shops and colorful markets, also hides a culinary treasure cultivated with passion and expertise: “the black diamond”.

Géo Balme invites you to discover his estate and to dive into the captivating world of the black truffle of Provence. The visit offers an exceptional human and sensory experience, revealing to you the secrets of this precious truffle. Guided tours, available for a minimum group of 6 people, also include a truffle hunt.

Portrait of the only truffle professional in L'Isle sur la Sorgue

Géo Balme, passionate about truffles since the age of 12, made this passion his profession for 62 years. Transmitted by his father, this vocation led him to devote his life to understanding and hunting truffles.

His life companions, his truffle dogs, trained from 2 months, have an exceptional sense of smell that allows them to detect buried truffles. Their collaboration with the truffle grower creates a unique link, illustrating the harmony between man and nature.

The truffle enigma

Truffle farming, influenced by the seasons and the climate, is a delicate art. Géo Balme guides us through the process of selecting truffle oaks at harvest, with the help of his truffle dogs. To obtain good winter truffles, summer rains are necessary, but climate change is reducing their frequency, leading to an increasingly weak and unpredictable harvest.

In winter, black truffles (tuber melanosporum) are harvested, and in summer, summer truffles (tuber aestivum) are harvested.

The Sensory and Culinary Experience

The best months to enjoy winter truffles are January and February, while white truffles are best enjoyed in June, July and August. Truffles offer a variety of flavors and aromas, but for Géo, the best way to enjoy them is simple: enclose truffles with eggs from his hens for two days. The intense aroma of truffles permeates the eggs, creating naturally truffled eggs. Her secret? Add a few slices of fresh truffle over fried eggs, a real delight.

Let yourself be tempted by an unforgettable culinary adventure in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue!