In search of black magic

After years of decline, English truffle hunting is enjoying an exciting revival. Ben Lerwill heads to the Cotswolds to join the search for this highly prized fungus 

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MUSKY, nutty, earthy, rich in umami. Nature was having a good day when it created the truffle, gifting chefs a flavour M so prized that six-figure sums have been known to change hands for single specimens. 'Anyone who does not declare himself ready to leave Paradise or Hell for such a treat,' wrote the French author Maurice Goudeket in the 1950s, 'is not worthy to be born again. That's high praise for an ectomycorrhizal fungus.

France and Italy often hog the headlines where truffles are concerned, but these fragrant, warty treasures are also found in abundance in the UK. They're not always identical to the Continental varieties-you won't find the much-eulogised black Périgord growing wild here-but high-quality truffles can still be unearthed in many corners of Britain, not least the famous swathe of hills between Bath and Banbury.

'There are definitely truffles to be found in the Cotswolds, proclaims James Feaver of The English Truffle Company. The geology ticks all the boxes.' He tells me the story of a retired engineer from Minchinhampton, who was irked by squirrels excavating his lawn until he realised the animals were, in fact, digging for truffles. Rather than cashing in, however, the man gathered his bounty each autumn and enjoyed grated truffle on his scrambled eggs and potato cakes, living the high life in his patch of Gloucestershire. 'Historically, parts of the Cotswolds around Stroud and Dursley have seen good truffle finds, adds Mr Feaver. 'The Bath and Ciren-cester areas, too.