Olga Urbani: “So we bring the Italian truffle to the world”

Truffle is one of the most precious symbols of Italian gastronomy And there are those who, from beyond 170 yearsin holds the secretsexporting this tricolor excellence all over the world. This is the Urban Family, owner ofUrban trufflesworld leader in the sector with an extra presence of 70 countries. Driving today there is Olga Urbaniexponent of the sixth generation of the family, who carries out with passion and vision the heritage started by the Trisavavolo in 1852. We had the pleasure of meeting her at Vanity Fair Venice Beach Loungewhere the story of his company told us, the commitment to sustainability and future projects. “Our strength is unity – explains Olga Urbani – every member of the family has a precise role and we share the responsibility to carry on a tradition that today has a global dimension”.

Although the company has today an international dimension And it is a real giant, the family challenge has always been to maintain a traditional approach to the productwithout industrialization being able to affect the production process. Italianness It is an added value in the supply chain, and although the company has offices all over the world, it still remains in the center: «Also in America our managers are Italian or Italian-American. It is important that those who work with us share our values ​​». In addition to Truffle Museuman important chapter of recent history is the birth ofTartufo Academystrongly desired by Paolo Urbanifather of Olga e Knight of work. The academy has become a point of reference for chefs around the world, who learn here to get to know and enhance the truffle. “The most common mistake – says Olga Urbani – is to cover its taste with too strong ingredients. The truffle is delicate and must be respected. For this reason, the academy hosts cooks from different countries every year, offering them the opportunity to discover techniques and secrets that allow to enhance their essence “. The relationship with young chefs is very positive: «The best are enthusiastic and respectful. They listen, learn and want to experiment. Every year we form groups of cooks from all over the world: seeing them reinterpreting the truffle in their kitchens is stimulating ».

There sustainability It is another pillar of philosophy Urban: «My son Francesco gave him a great impulse, who already proposed to create a nursery of truffle plants at 16. Today we produce about 200,000 trees per year. This allows us to absorb CO₂, but above all to reintegrate the cultivation where the truffle was disappearing. In Umbria, over 200 farmers have planted truffles: a project that combines environmental protection and local development ». Among the most fascinating stories related to the history of Urban Truffle there is no shortage of episodes that intertwine diplomacy and gastronomic curiosities. One above all concerns The link with the United Stateswhere the truffle has become not only a luxury product but also a symbol of friendship and international prestige: “It was an idea of ​​my great -grandfather: to give every year a great truffle to the president. At the beginning it was almost a marketing operation, because the very large pieces are difficult to sell. Then it became a tradition that brought us to the White House, with official invitations and thanksgiving letters. Today it is a symbolic gesture that has made the truffle an ambassador of Italy in the world ».

Olga Urbani’s personal path represents A model for many young women who wish to undertake an entrepreneurial activity. His experience shows how determination alone is not enough if not accompanied by solid skills and a specialization capable of making his own contribution unique. In his case the study of languages, curiosity and willingness to acquire different skills From those paternal have allowed you to build an autonomous space within the family business: «You have to be determined, but the determination is not enough without skills. I built a role by learning things that my father could not do. I speak four languages, and this gave me an advantage. We must specialize, become indispensable, but without forgetting to enhance the people who work with you ». At the center of his approach, however, there is also a strong attention to people: the belief that a company can only grow if it enhances the talents and energies of those who work there, transforming the company community into a real family.

Looking to the future, The urban truffi strategy moves on several guidelines. The United States remain a reference market, with particular attention to areas in strong growth such as the Texaswhere gastronomic culture is evolving rapidly and there is great opening towards ingredients of excellence. Parallel, The gaze is aimed at Asiaand in particular to India: complex contexts, with tastes and culinary traditions very different from the European onesbut which represent extraordinary basin development basins for those who know how to offer quality products related to a strong storytelling. To support this expansion there will be innovation, understood both as a constant search for new ways of enhancing truffle, and as attention to sustainable practices that guarantee continuity to an increasingly precious product. The challenge, for Olga Urbani, is therefore cunreal deep roots and global visionso that the Italian truffle continues to be Ambassador of Made in Italy into the world.