pigs

Traditionally that's been done by pigs, but the handler has to be quick to stop them eating the truffle once it's been located.

“Exactly,” Hilton continued, explaining how his family had a salami business in Hungary and he had gotten his hands plenty dirty in the past, “doing every aspect of making sausage, including killing the pigs.”

Breeding special pigs for this is ideal, say experts, since their organs are roughly the right size for people.

"So far, we have learnt that the people of Keeladi were involved in agriculture, trade and cattle-rearing. They kept deer, goats and wild pigs and ate lots of rice and millets," says Prof Kumaresan.

Lewis Clare, who produces organic oats and pigs on his 160-acre farm near Manchester, said: "The weather is going to be driving costs up."