“I received an email from Martins Kulinarium in Carvoeiro about a weekend workshop on truffle hunting with dogs and I immediately found it very interesting, so I signed up”, Larissa Möller, founder of the Algarve Truffle Group, told Central Magazine.

“You need a dog to hunt for truffles, as they are fungi that grow underground with an intense scent, so when trained, the dogs can find them thanks to their excellent sense of smell”, she explained. “This doesn’t require a specific breed or age, it’s all about good teamwork.”

The First Steps

During the workshop, Larissa and her then 7-year-old American Akita, Fashima, met Nelli Eleonore dos Santos, whose Rhodesian Ridgeback, Nala, was only six months old at the time, and they trained together. “Those were the first steps of our exciting and successful truffle hunts in the Algarve”, she mentioned.

Once the first search successes were recorded, Larissa searched the Internet for truffle research in the country and came across a YouTube video by Professor Celeste Santos e Silva from the University of Évora, in which she presented her work on the desert truffle species in Portugal, due to climate change. “Mr. Honstrass and I were invited to visit her at the university and that’s how we met. It was six years ago, and we’ve been working together ever since.”

Truffles and trees live together in symbiosis, the so-called mycorrhiza, where there is an exchange of important nutrients and water. Therefore, it is crucial to know what truffle species connects with which tree, and certain soil conditions.

“When we find truffles, we make a detailed documentation of the discovery. Pictures are taken of the fresh truffles in the environment they are found, as well as the associated trees or plants, and we collect a sample”, Larissa elaborated on their research. “I have a small laboratory here because microscopic examination is essential to identify the truffles more accurately. The samples that stand out, we send to a laboratory in Évora or Spain for DNA sequencing to verify exactly what we uncovered.”


The Algarve Truffles Group consists of five active members with a total of seven dogs of different breeds, ages and training classes. “The whole group meets up once or twice a month, we travel all over the Algarve, near the coast, in the hinterland and Serra de Monchique, always in different areas”, she shared. “When you’re out in the field, the dogs are very precise. They can show you the exact location of the truffles and we often find many different species on our excursions in nature.”


New discovery

At the beginning of May 2024, Nelli Eleonore dos Santos and Larissa Möller with their dogs Nala, 7, and Figo, 3, succeeded for the first time in finding the culinary valuable black summer truffle, Tuber aestivum, in the wild at several places in the Algarve.

“Discovering the summer truffles was one of our greatest achievements, as this species has never been found in the South of Portugal”, she expressed. The Tuber aestivum is a specialty in the culinary industry, often offered as a highlight in upscale restaurants during truffle season.

“Following the discovery, Professor Celeste Santos e Silva personally visited the sites, and thanks to our great dogs, we were able to find more summer truffles in her presence for research work at the university. By taking soil and root samples from the locations, she was able to clearly confirm the findings after extensive laboratory work”, Larissa continued.


Since 2018, the Algarve Truffle Group has identified over 60 species in the region and the Alentejo, with the help of their dogs. “Among the identified species so far, are DNA sequencing-confirmed evidence of very rare, in some cases undescribed specimens, as well as previously unknown and unpublished truffles that are waiting to be revealed together with fellow scientists”, she mentioned.

Truffle community

“The main reason I started this was because I wanted to do something fun and meaningful with my dog. Even as a child, I went mushroom hunting in the forest with my parents and I always loved it. Through truffle hunting, I learned a lot about the interactions and relationships in nature and it really changed my view of our world”, Larissa recalled. “Mr. Dieter educated us very well, and he still regularly comes to the Algarve to work with us.”

The Algarve Truffle Group also offers services to truffle plantations in Portugal, as there aren’t many trained dogs besides theirs in the country. “This allows us to earn some money to pay the laboratories and continue our work”, she concluded.

Author

A journalist that’s always eager to learn about new things. With a passion for travel, adventure and writing about this diverse world of ours.

“Wisdom begins in wonder” -  Socrates

Kate Sreenarong