BUZET, Croatia (Reuters) -It is white truffle season and Ivana Karlic Ban and her two dogs cruise the autumn-coloured forests of Croatia’s northwestern Istria region in hunt of one of the world’s most expensive delicacies.

The white truffle, an underground fungus that only grows from September to December in symbiosis with some trees, can be found solely in Italy and Croatia.

Sometimes the delicacy is buried a metre (3.2 ft) beneath the ground, but Karlic Ban’s Lagotto Romagnolo-breed dogs detect it due to the fungus’ specific, intensive scent.

“The white truffle is very rare, its price can reach 6,000 euros to 7,000 euros ($6,997 to $8,163) per kilogram,” Karlic Ban said, adding that the fungus sought by gourmets cannot be cultivated, as opposed to black truffles which grow throughout

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