In Western Australia, winter means truffles

Even though the weather’s all hot, hot days and balmy nights still, lest we forget lovy winter is on its way. So now is the time to plan that winter escape. Winter conjures images of crisp mornings, cosy nights and satisfying red wine. When it comes to winter food, there’s nothing better than the intoxicating aroma of just-unearthed, freshly shaved black truffles.

Truffles are the most alluring ingredient. They are notoriously difficult to farm, fickle in that they need specific climatic conditions and soil types to form, and the right amount of rain at the right time to grow and ripen. The truffle season is also very short, lasting anywhere between 10 and 16 weeks.

Black truffles are a little easier to predict than the white truffle and thus can be farmed if everything aligns – weather, soil, cold snap at the right time, dew, rain, wind and a bit of magic. White truffles are only found foraged the wild in small pockets of Northern Italy. Manjimup in southwest Western Australia has both the climatic conditions and right soil for truffle cultivation.

Known scientifically as tuber melopsporum, in France as Perigord truffles and everywhere else as black truffles, Manjimup produces more nuggets of black gold than the rest of the non-European world combined. In fact, over 80 percent of truffles grown in the southern hemisphere come from Manjimup.

A 3.5-hour drive from Perth, Manjimup is quaint country town surrounded by stunning tall timber Jarrah, Marri and Karri forests and undulating verdant farmland. The Southern Forests sub-region is Western Australia’s food bowl, producing over 50 kinds of fruit and vegetables from potatoes to avocados and cherries to chestnuts. Blue marron, the prized freshwater crayfish is endemic to the Southern Forests, and pairs beautifully when cooked in butter and finished off with freshly shaved black truffle.

Australia’s most experience truffle growing family, Gavin and Mel Booth owners of Australian Truffle Traders, open their farm gate each winter to take guests on a truffle hunt through their hazelnut and oak orchard.

This year, Australian Truffle Traders, along with their sister business Hound & Hunter Fine Food and Test Kitchen, have opened bookings early for truffle hunts.

Limited to small groups, the three-hour experience is led by those trained to find truffles, clever canines Gidgee, Max, Gunnah, Ruby and Malu.

Guests have the opportunity to dig up fresh truffle themselves and inhale the truffle aroma seeping up through the soil. That heady scent ignites the appetite, which will soon satiated by a three-course country feast laden with freshly cultivated black truffle and truffle products developed by acclaimed chef, David Coomer.

The country lunch at Hound & Hunter includes house-made products and seasonal produce, a gourmet charcuterie with freshly baked sourdough baguette, a rustic a hearty main course and decadent, seasonal dessert.

Truffle hunts take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during truffle season, which typically starts in late May / early June and ends in late August / early September.

For booking and more information, visit www.australiantruffletraders.com.