While it is hard to match the fresh, pungent - and hugely expensive - truffles found in France and Italy, an increasing number of Australian producers are enjoying success with domestic truffle products and spin-offs.
Truffle Hill at Manjimup in Western Australia is one of the longest-established truffle producers in Australia with a popular tourism offering as well as a range of gourmet products.
It was Australia's first successful commercial truffle farm, not surprising as the climate in Manjimup is similar to Perigord, with wet winters and warm summers, which produce the most flavoursome truffles.
Truffle Hill (formerly known Truffle and Wine Co.) and was also the first Australian truffle company to export fresh black Périgord truffles to the global culinary stage, opening up the Australian truffle season into Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The Manjimup region is the heart of Australia’s fresh truffle industry and provides chefs with Australian products at times of the year European offerings are not available.
The range now extends beyond fresh truffles to gourmet truffle products, which were created so that the joy and rich aromas and flavours of truffles can be savoured and shared all year round, not only during truffle season.
Over the past couple of weeks I have tried the Truffle Hill truffle risotto, an intense and authentically Italian-tasting rice dish that my wife paired brilliantly with crayfish and lamb kidneys (above); and the Truffle Hill hot sauce, which gave a new dimension and lift to the humble sausage rolls from my local bakery.
For details on both the Truffle Mushroom Risotto and Truffle Hot Sauce can be found by clicking on the links.
Truffle Hill dates back 25 years and was Australia’s first true commercial truffière.
Surrounded by vineyards, orchards and rolling hills, the produces not only truffles, but also wines.
If you are visiting the region then you might want to book for a truffle hunting experience to discover how truffles grow and find mature truffles that are ready for harvesting.
Fresh truffles are for sale from June to August each year, while condiments, oils, gift packs and more are available all year round.
Two lucky Gourmet on the Road readers won samples of the goodies. They are V. Jaynes of Queensland and D.Reardon of Tasmania.
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