There is yet another interesting fact about
Istria. This is where Giancarlo Zigante, a local caterer and
truffle hunter, and his dog, Diana, dug up one of the largest truffles ever found weighing 1.31 kg, on 2 November 1999 not far from
Buje. The Guinness World Records listed this truffle as the largest in the world.
The Guinness World Records truffle was cast in bronze, and a copy is on display in the Zigante Tartufi Shop in Livade in which homemade products are sold. When travelling along the route from Vižinada or Buzet to
Motovun or further on to Oprtalj, take the time to see this award-winning truffle.
Were it sold on the market, Zigante’s giant white truffle, named Millennium, could have fetched the price of gold. However, the community spirit, so typical of this region, had another fate in store for it. The truffle was prepared and consumed in Istria, in the place where it was found. The celebration of the world record has helped to put the small village of Livade on the map as a world truffle centre.