“ The black truffle matures throughout the winter. Truffles harvested in December offer sweet and subtle flavours, while those from February have more of a rich character. ”
For over 25 years, the Canut family has been growing black truffles on their farm in Aups. Every winter Patrick and his daughter Lisa wander through their oak plantation, guided by their dogs, to harvest the precious ‘black diamond’, the truffle. Join them and take part in the fascinating art of truffle hunting, before treating yourself to tasting your finds!
The Canut Family
A beautiful town on the way to the Gorges du Verdon, Aups hosts the most prominent truffle festival in France. The limestone and sandy soils of the Haut-Var region are perfectly suited to the cultivation of ‘tuber melanosporum’, the delicious black truffle. Patrick Canut, who was once a baker and pastry chef in Aups, chose to set up his truffle farm there 25 years ago as a hobby. It is now his profession. Within his twelve hectares of land, 1.5 hectares are devoted to the planting of green and white oaks to encourage truffle growing, while over 1000 olive trees fill out the rest of the land, which then produce olive oil.
It is a family affair for the Canuts, since Patrick’s wife and three children supported him tirelessly during his shift from baker to farmer. Lisa Canut, a pharmacy assistant that works locally from June to November, particularly enjoys getting stuck in to the harvest and helps her father every year with the digging, the workshops, and their market stall – since 100% of their production is sold directly to the customer.
