Experience: I found the largest truffle in the world

I could have sold my 1.3kg truffle for a fortune. But I had something more special in mind

It was 2am when I left the house that night in November 1999. I was heading out into the Motovun forest in Istria, in the north-west of Croatia, to hunt for truffles. Serious truffle hunting is done at night - it's better for the dogs, as the moisture carries the smell of the truffle better, and also it's harder to be followed.

It was a freezing night - the temperatures at that time of year dip below zero. Being a truffle hunter is not an easy job: it's usually wet and muddy in the forest. You often get scratched and dirty, and can return empty-handed. Still, I had a gut feeling that the night would be a good one, so with Diana, my trusty German pointer, I set off.