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An Italian-Turkish truffle collector based in Edirne has turned a niche foraging business into an export operation, sending truffles gathered from different parts of Türkiye to Italy.
Tuncay Croatto, who lives in Edirne, first got into truffle hunting with trained dogs after moving to Türkiye about five years ago. Born in Italy in 1996 to an Italian father and a Turkish mother, he said he had already become familiar with truffles in childhood through his father.
After spending time collecting truffles around Edirne, including Kesan and Uzunkopru, Croatto gradually expanded the business. Drawing on his contacts in Italy, he began sourcing truffles from different provinces in Türkiye and exporting them abroad.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Croatto said truffles are valuable because they are difficult to find in nature. He noted that prices shift during the season, starting at around 150 euros per kilogram when supply is limited and falling to about 50 euros as more product comes in.
He also pointed out that winter black truffles can fetch much higher prices. In some cases, he said, they can go up to 350 euros per kilogram.
Croatto said whitish and black truffle varieties are the most common in Türkiye. Whitish truffles are generally collected in March and April, while black truffles are divided into summer and winter types that come out at different times of the year.
He added that winter black truffles are usually found in high-altitude areas and are typically harvested in September and October.
As his business grew, Croatto began sourcing truffles from a wide area rather than relying only on local collection. He said he obtains products from Sakarya, Istanbul, Kirklareli, Kesan, Canakkale, Bursa, Balikesir, Civril in Denizli, and Usak.
He also said black truffles appear in higher-altitude provinces such as Corum, Bayburt, and Askale in Erzurum, where conditions are more suitable for the winter variety.
Croatto said truffles prefer high-pH soils and sparse oak forests that get plenty of sunlight. He added that climate change has started to weigh on production, while efforts to cultivate truffles have increased in some countries, especially Italy.
According to Croatto, the business now exports around 1 ton of truffles each year.
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