Five ways to get into the Canberra truffle season
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Truffle season has arrived in Canberra!
That means the truffle hunts are on, the noses of trusty truffle dogs are sniffing in overdrive, and truffles are all over Canberra menus right about now.
In Canberra and region— the undisputed king of truffle land in Australia—we have a whole festival to celebrate truffle season stretching from mid-June to mid-August. Now in its 14th year, The Truffle Festival Canberra Region brings together all things truffle, showcasing this premium product beloved by foodies and chefs the world over.
But let’s not forget, it would be pretty hard to have so many fine truffles without the clever and trusty dogs that sniff them out. (Well, you could have pigs but it’s not quite the same.)
I’ve always imagined that the doggy art of truffle sniffing was reserved for one or two particular breeds with specially-developed olfactory skills, and perhaps the discipline not to gobble them up when found. Turns out, the dogs involved in sniffing out the treasured truffles around Canberra come in all shapes and sizes. There’s Jack Russells, Kelpies, Labradors and even rather exotically-named Lagotto Romagnolos.
Seems they all have great noses. A dog’s sense of smell is 100,000 times better than a human’s and they can detect the equivalent of half a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. They just need some good training and a knowledgeable truffle handler or two in charge of operations.
This year to celebrate the sniffers, the Canberra Truffle Festival is holding a competition in their honour. Visit their website to see the profiles of all the doggy stars and vote for your favourite, with the winner receiving two tickets to a truffle hunt and 100g of premium truffle to start some truffle-cooking adventures. Closes 5 July.
So what’s all this fuss about truffles?
The black winter truffle, or Tuber melanosporum if you want to get scientific, is the stuff of culinary legend, hard to grow and highly sought after by food lovers and purveyors of fine food. Basically they’re mushrooms that grow underground, treasured items with a highly distinctive odour that permeates deeply into food they’re blended with.
Available for just a few months of the year and only grown in very specific regions, it turns out Canberra and surrounds is a perfect spot. While we may whinge about the weather as the winter chill sets in, those truffles thrive on it. Our climate closely resembles that of the French truffle region—high altitudes, frosty morns and dry sunny days—making us a prime truffle area.
During the festival, six local truffle farms producing black winter truffles open their gates to visitors to experience the thrill of the hunt and share their knowledge. There’s also a feast of food and wine experiences, with truffles front and centre.
Five ways to get into the Canberra truffle season
Hunt with the hounds
What better way to understand the mysteries of truffle-seeking than to join in the hunt with the canine olfactory masters as they sniff out the good stuff. Watch the dogs at work, learn about truffles, do some cleaning and grading, have a sneaky taste or maybe indulge in a truffle-inspired feast while you’re there. Participating truffle farms include Blue Frog Truffles, Brunello, Durran Durra Truffles, L’Air du Wombat Truffles, Macenmist Black Truffles and Wines and Tarago Truffles. You can also buy some to take home.
Try a truffle dish
‘Tis the season for dining out on truffle-inspired meals as restaurants around town feature special truffle-infused dishes. Try potato, truffle and prosciutto pizza from Pizza Artigiana all season at Verity Lane, sup on truffle shoyu ramen with Ramen Daddy, pair truffles with brews at Bentspoke Brewing Co until 5 July, or elevate Molto Italian’s signature Cacio e Pepe pasta with shaved black truffles until 12 July.
Dig into a degustation
If one dish isn’t enough, max out your black magic intake with a degustation. Restaurants offering truffle dinners include Parliament House, Walt & Burley, Poacher’s Pantry, The George Bar & Grill, Monster Kitchen and Bar, Brunello and 65 Northbourne. Some are one-offs, some stretch until August, some can be paired with matching wines and one’s vego. Choices!
Just add wine
As if truffle-inspired meals aren’t enough, adding vino can elevate the taste sensations even more. Hotel Kurrajong has partnered with Macenmist Black Truffles and Nick O’Leary wines to deliver a four-course menu with matched wine pairings while Lerida Estate has created a flight of four truffled morsels paired perfectly with their wines. Chardonnay risotto with confit garlic and fresh black truffle, anyone?
Cook up a truffle storm
Pick up some fresh truffles from the markets or straight from the suppliers and create your own culinary magic. Keep it simple – avoid complicated recipes and just allow the truffle flavour to shine. If you need ideas, here are some of our favourite recipes:
- Orecchiette with Walnut Pesto and Black Truffle
- Chocolate Yoghurt Truffles
- Pumpkin and carrot soup with za’atar and truffle oil
Check out the Truffle Festival website for all the details about truffle happenings and bookings.
