Coming up quick is that eagerly awaited time of year for food enthusiasts: the Truffle Season. Running from late-June until mid-August, this is when you can learn all about the Black Truffle or Black Périgord Truffle (tuber melanosporum)—as well as taste and devour them.
The Queanbeyan-Palerang region, with its terrain, elevation and climate, is ripe ground for this prized fungus—which forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of oak and hazel trees.
As with all things nature, timings are not strict: the rule of thumb is that you should be able to get some fresh truffle from the Winter Solstice onwards.
Below are 4 places where you can hunt for truffles in the region. As the season nears, keep an eye out on local eateries, wineries and restaurants for special truffle offerings.
ELVESGATE TRUFFLES
Near Braidwood is Australia’s only certified organic biodynamic truffiere, Elvesgate. This small, family-run truffle farm toils away to produce high-quality dense truffle using only natural processes, with the soil continually enlivened using biodynamic treatments.
For the first time in 10 years, you can visit Elvesgate for a taste of organic farming and their intoxicating truffles that are normally reserved for Sydney’s best restaurants—and you can do so as a whole family! Being a family-run farm, Elvesgate offers a Forage, Feast and Family experience, created with kids in mind.
The Forage, Feast and Family experience starts at 10.30am with snacks on arrival before a 1-hour hunt led by Gael and their truffle dog, Billy. It concludes with a delectable vegetarian lunch featuring brie, warm bread, chestnuts with truffle cream, hand-cut pappardelle and truffle crème anglaise ice cream with hazelnut meringue. There are plenty of kid-friendly options too.
For those without little ones, the Forage and Feast experience runs similarly.
Bookings now open for 6 July onwards.
BLUE FROG TRUFFLES
Since 2007, Wayne, Lanie and son Justin Haslam from Blue Frog Truffles have been harvesting black truffles. Their farm is located in Sutton with over 6 hectares of a mix of oak and hazelnut trees.
During the Truffle Season, truffle hunts are open to the public every Sunday morning at 10am (subject to evidence of truffle fruiting). These 2-hour events start with a walk through the grounds with the dog handler and dogs. Watch how the truffle dogs sniff out the aroma and mark the spot with their paws—and how carefully the truffles are then dug out.
Following the hunt is a demonstration of how truffles are washed and graded. Warm up with a cup of tasty truffled soup with some truffle snacks to give you an overview of how truffles are prepared and cooked.
Bookings now open for 23 June 2024 onwards.
L’AIR DU WOMBAT TRUFFLES
In Oallen, 45 minutes from Braidwood, L’Air du Wombat is a truffle farm with self-contained accommodation that has been operating since 2007.
During the season, their 2-hour truffle hunting experiences begin at 10am every Saturday and 1pm every Sunday. What makes L’air Du Wombat special is that there are very few rules: you can participate in digging up the truffles as well as interact with the truffle dogs, Barry, Roxy and JJ. You can also purchase what you dig out of the ground!
The hunt takes 1 hour. Afterwards, warm up in the enclosed pavilion (with a fire) while the truffles are washed and graded—before delighting in a variety of savoury and sweet tastings.
Make the truffle hunting experience part of a weekend getaway. L’Air du Wombat have several farmstay accommodation options, ranging from campsites, glamping, a bush cabin with moon-bathing facilities, to modern units close to the truffle farm itself.
Bookings now open for 15 June 2024 onwards.
TURALLA TRUFFLES
Close to Bungendore on the southern end of the Lake George Basin is Turalla Truffles. This year, they are offering exclusive and intimate Truffle Hunt Degustation Adventures for a maximum of 12 people.
Join Damian, his family and Jack Russell dogs for a truffle hunt. Be guided through the process of finding truffles with the help of the dogs and learn how it’s decided whether they’re ready to harvest. Along the way, be enlightened about the history and magic of truffles.
Up for ultimate indulgence? Add on a mouth-watering degustation of dishes like crêpes with bananas fried in truffle butter, served with truffled custard, truffle ice cream and shaved truffle and truffle Pappardelle with truffle butter, grated truffle-infused Pecorina, a 63-degree egg and shaved truffle on top. Every dish is designed and executed to let the truffle shine.
Bookings not yet open so keep an eye on their website.
Remember: truffle hunts are active outdoor experiences so closed-toe shoes along with appropriate warm winter clothing are must-haves!
Written by Thuc Do, Fiction Agency, for Visit Queanbeyan-Palerang.