WESTERN Australia’s reputation as a supplier of truffles has grown significantly since the harvest of the state’s first French black truffle in 2003.
Australian Truffle Industry Association founder and truffle researcher Noel Fitzpatrick’s December 2009 report, ‘Australian Truffles: Growing, Harvesting and Value Adding’, suggested Australia’s annual production of truffles increased to about 1,200 kilograms in 2008
“Some 300 kilograms from the 2008 harvest was exported to France by a WA company,” the report stated. “Annual production in Europe in the early 1900s was estimated to be in the vicinity of 800-1,000 tonnes. A century later annual production in these regions has fallen to 12-15 tonnes.”
At the ATIA’s annual meeting last year, The Wine and Truffle Company’s chief executive, Alan Nelson, highlighted accelerated projections of truffle yields in coming years from one of the state’s largest producers of the delicacy known as ‘black diamonds’.
About 600 kilograms were produced by the Manjimup company in 2008, with projected yields forecast to reach 1,600 kilograms from the 2010 harvest and grow above 2 tonnes by 2011.
That’s good news for Perth’s leading chefs, who recently gathered to launch the Mundaring Truffle Festival, to be held on July 31 and August 1.
Pictured (from left) are: The Loose Box’s Chris d’Almeida; Cantina 663’s Anthony Norwood; Stephen Clarke from Clarke’s of North Beach; consultant Don Hancey; Hadleigh Troy from Restaurant Amuse; Must Wine Bar’s Russell Blaikie; and Mondo Meats’ Vince Garreffa, who will sell truffle-themed dishes at the festival.
