A walk through Chillar, a historic town that invites you to hunt for truffles

Part of the dreams of grandeur that the city of Azul cradled in the 1930s extended to Chillar , some 60 kilometers to the south, thanks to architect Francisco Salamone and his monumental works. The remains of the Slaughterhouse and the Municipal Delegation building remain from that auspicious moment, which was left halfway.

More than half a century later, the vision of a family of French immigrants has restored the hope of a more prosperous future for the people of Chillán, this time through the cultivation of black truffles , an ingredient valued by prestigious international chefs, who consider them a key ingredient in their gourmet dishes .

“It's an underground fungus that grows on the roots of oak trees in this area. We take the seedlings we produce in the nursery to the field after two years and harvest the fruit after five or six years, from early July to mid-September. The first harvest, with Alexis de Noailles leading this project, took place in August 2014,” explains Mariano Ferreyra, who leads this agroecological activity at the La Esperanza farm and also hosts the “Buscá trufas” program , every Saturday in winter starting at 1 p.m.

Before starting the guided walk , Ferreyra's educational talk introduces visitors to a universe barely known by the final result, offered to the most exquisite palates in the form of Neapolitan pizza, truffled pork shoulder, pasta with truffle sauce or truffle-flavored mousse.

Then, the firm steps of three workers armed with 30-centimeter-diameter shovels mark the course through the 3 hectares of land where the truffles grow. However, both this trio of experts and the group of thirty tourists accompanying them closely follow the movements of two farmers with a good sense of direction and a better sense of smell, detecting each specimen of black truffle covered in the intensely black soil of Chillar.

Upon sensing the scent of truffles, the dogs zigzag through the plants without lifting their noses from the ground until they lie motionless . This is the signal the workers await to begin excavating with the patience of an archaeologist faced with a potentially momentous discovery. The initiatory experience is rounded off in a most enjoyable way by the specialties served by a master pizza maker installed in a gazebo.

The good name Chillar has earned for the quality of its soil organic matter began in 1912, when dozens of Spanish, Italian, and French pioneers began setting foot on the newly opened platform of the Southern Railway to embark on the nascent agricultural activity.

Decades later, the production of the area's fields began to fade, and today the idle resort and its golden age counterpart, the Hotel Internacional, are part of Chillar's historic and tourist circuit , complementing the appeal of the black truffles. Intensely colored murals painted on the walls of the old hotel—opened to the public in 1912—recapture some of the splendor of that era, from which Chillar now seems to regain some of its brilliance .

The same sense of bygone grandeur emanates from the Spanish Baroque style of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (inaugurated in 1920), the remains of the Chalet de Bulian (a superb 1931 construction decorated with English windows, Italian Renaissance balustrades and French black tiles).

Also the headquarters of the Spanish and Italian Mutual Aid Societies (created between 1926 and 1938) and the Athletic Club (from 1924), in addition to the masses built by Salamone , impossible to miss on the clear horizon of Chillar.

Through an iron plaque displayed on a sculpture in General San Martín Square, the local community pays tribute to "the immigrants who made the lands of Chillar a garden."

There, among the conifer-lined paths, as well as in the refreshing atmosphere of the Municipal Park and the trails lined with the 14 Stations of the Cross , the strong rural imprint that permeates Chillar from all sides emerges. Its most notable distinguishing mark.

● From the city of Buenos Aires to Chillar it is 360 kilometers along the Riccheri and Ezeiza-Cañuelas highways and Route 3.

● Cóndor Estrella semi-sleeper bus from Retiro to Chillar (6 to 7 hours), $30,800.

● Hotel El Descanso: Double room with breakfast, cable TV, and Wi-Fi, $45,000; quadruple, $90,000 (02281-15568204 / 15466042).

● Los Cerros Lodging: Double room with cable TV and Wi-Fi, $30,000; apartment for two or three people, $17,000 per person; breakfast, $6,000 (02281-15306125 / 15307657 / Facebook: Hospedaje “Los Cerros” Chillar).

● In Azul (60 km from Chillar), Hotel Demetrio: double room with breakfast, cable TV, Wi-Fi, gym and parking, $99,000; triple, $122,400; quadruple, $135,000 (02281-15650303 / www.hoteldemetrioazul.com.ar.

● Guided “Truffle Hunt” tour in the La Esperanza farm, $7,000; free for children under 12 (155-1450906 / www.trufaslaesperanza-arg.com).

● Truffle specialties (such as sirloin with Malbec reduction, mashed potatoes, sliced ​​truffles and grated truffles, or risotto with mushrooms and grated truffles) at the Manolete restaurant in Azul, $30,000 to $40,000 per plate.

● Truffled pork shoulder sandwich at El Viejo Almacén restaurant, on Pablo Acosta Street, $25,000; homemade bread croutons with truffled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and prosciutto, $15,000; truffled pork shoulder with rustic potatoes, $45,000; chocolate mousse with truffles, $16,000.

● A multi-course menu (appetizer, a board of mountain cold cuts with fried empanada, chorizo ​​and blood sausage skewer with vegetables, grilled meats with garnish, dessert, and a drink) at the Parador de la Reserva Natural Boca de las Sierras (45 km from Azul), $35,000; vegetable ravioli, $23,000; chocolate and walnut pudding, $4,500. Also available are scrambled eggs with truffles and pasta with truffle sauce.

● (02281) 431-796 / (02281) 15472870

● IG: azul_esturismo. Facebook: Turismo Azul.