Frequently Asked Questions

Fast Facts

 

• The aroma of truffles is both unique and difficult to describe. Think rich, earthy and pungent tones and you’re on the right track.

 

• Tuber melanosporum is the scientific name for the black, winter or Perigord truffle; also known as Tartufo Nero in Italy.

 

• Truffles are an edible fungus that grow off the roots of several species of trees including oak and hazelnut.

 

• The Southern Forests of Manjimup is known for its rich farming traditions and towering forests of Karri, Marri and Jarrah.

 

• Our Karri loam soil, pristine environment and plentiful rainfall make the Southern Forests of Manjimup perfect for truffles.

 

• Our truffle season is in the Northern Hemisphere summer / Southern Hemisphere winter ensuring a counterpoint to the European season.
   

• We are 100% family owned and operated.

 

• Our highly trained (and very lovable) dogs detect the truffles that are perfectly ripe for unearthing by hand.

 

• We thoroughly clean and grade every truffle, ensuring the purchased weight is pure truffle.

 

• Our truffles are used by chefs the world over (including a number with Michelin stars). They are sought after for their quality, high grading standards and consistency of supply.

 

 

Cooking with Black Truffle

 

• Black truffle is best served using a truffle shaver or grater.

 

• Black truffle can be heated to 50 degrees centigrade without losing its aroma. This allows it to be used in a wide variety of dishes

 

• Some of our favourite truffle dishes are:

  • Poussin Demi Deux = Chook in half mourning or Roast chook with truffle

  • Grated truffle over buttery mashed potato

  • Truffle and cheese grilled sandwich

  • Truffle shaved over a simple risotto

  • Truffle and West Australian marron

  • Truffle croquettes

  • Scrambled eggs with grated truffle
     

 

How to Store Black Truffle

 

• Truffles are best eaten when they are perfectly ripe. Eat them too early or too late and their aroma will not be as good.

 

• Truffles are best enjoyed 5 – 14 days after harvest, which is why our dogs noses are so well trained to find the mature truffles and our logistics system works so quickly, so that you have the maximum time with the truffle in its most perfect condition.

 

• Truffles can be frozen but please contact us first if you would like to do this so we can discuss best practice.

 

• We recommend that the truffle is wrapped in clean absorbent cloth with minimal lint and re-vacuumed. It is good for the truffle to be opened every day, towels changed and re vacuumed. Hold at 2 to 4C. If you cannot re-vaccum, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge, along with some uncooked rice to absorb any moisture. If using a domestic fridge it should be kept in the vegetable draw.

 

• You can also store truffle in a sealed jar with some eggs so they absorb the truffle aroma through their semi permeable shell.    

 

• Some people like to store truffles in rice, Madera or duck fat. No way is wrong and please feel free to learn and discover what works best for you. We recommend the absorbent cloth method (see above) to ensure minimal weight loss and good aroma.

 

 

Cultivating Truffles

 

• Australian black truffles are grown with the use of an inoculated tree. Essentially its’a waiting game for many, with trees planted for years before any truffles are unearthed. For some the wait may be as short as three years for others it can be 10 years. Others will never produce a truffle from their plantation. We are still learning why this is the case. The mechanism of what makes a truffle form at a specific time and place is not fully understood. You cannot force a truffle to be produced. For us this is part of the magic of truffles. They are largely unknown.

 

 

Different types of Truffles

 

• There are over 70 species of truffle in the world. Most are only naturally occurring in Europe and North America.

• The three main varieties of truffle that are sought commercially are: Tuber melanosporum (black truffle), Tuber Magnatum pico (white truffle) and Tuber Avestium (summer truffle)

• Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is the black, winter or Perigord truffle; also known as Tartufo Nero in Italy. It is highly prized the world over and is special in that it can be heated to 50 degrees centigrade without losing it's aroma. This allows it to be used in a wide variety of dishes.

• White (Tuber magnatum) is the rarest of all truffles. There is no known way to ‘cultivate’ it outside its traditional location. It loses its aroma more quickly and cannot take as much heat during the cooking process so should be used more simply.

 

 

Native Australian Truffles

 

• Australia has its own species of native truffle with specialised animals to eat them: Bandicoots. Australian truffles may be appetising to Bandicoot’s but they do not have any flavour or appeal for us humans.

 

 

Manjimup Truffles

 

• The Shire of Manjimup is at the centre of the truffle industry in the Southern Hemisphere. We produce around 70% of the harvest annually.

• To celebrate the truffle harvest and our community The Truffle Kerfuffle is held on the last weekend of June annually.  A highlight of the West Australian festival calendar, the event draws in visitors from around the world.

• We are members of the Southern Forests Food Council Inc. which was established in September 2012 to "represent the interests of local producers, culinary and agri-tourism operators and to foster the Southern Forests status as one of the nation’s key future food bowls and culinary tourism regions."

 

 

Australian Delivery Information (Trade and Hospitality)

 

• To place a farm direct order, please get in touch here.

 

• Orders less than 1kg in Australia always attract freight fees.

 

• Our pricing reflects prevailing market prices quoted in $AUD excluding GST.

 

• We hunt and harvest most days in winter (June – August), however due to freight times it is our preference to dispatch freshly harvested truffle Tuesday – Wednesday for a Wednesday – Friday delivery window. This may vary dependant on your location. We deliver to your doorstep in regular business hours.
   

• We use ice packs and eskys/cool boxes in a tried and proven method to deliver to you the very freshest of truffles covered by our insurance.· We recommend that upon receipt, the truffle is immediately opened and inspected, (if you report an issue within 24hrs and include a photo of the issue on scales (see T&C’s) we will replace this truffle on the next order)

 

• We recommend that the truffle is wrapped in clean cloth or paper towel and re-vacuumed. It is good for the truffle to be opened every day, towels changed and re-vacuumed. Hold at 2 to 4 deg C.

 

• It is normal for truffles to lose some weight, to account for this we over pack every bag by 3%.·

 

• For the first order with a new customer we generally ask for payment up front and that you complete an account form. Once we have proven the route and payment method, we move you to 14 day terms.
   

• Our Terms and Conditions of trade are issued with each invoice and account application. · If you are part of a chain of restaurants, we would be happy to discuss options to enhance your group purchasing power.

 

 

International Delivery Information (Trade and Hospitality)

 

• To place a farm direct order or find a truffle distributor in your country, please get in touch here.

 

• Our pricing reflects prevailing market prices quoted in $US or EUR.

 

• Shipping is calculated on a case by case basis.

 

• We hunt and harvest most days in winter (June – August), however due to freight times it is our preference to dispatch freshly harvested truffle Tuesday – Wednesday for a Wednesday – Friday delivery window. This may vary dependant on your location.
   

• We have partnerships with excellent distributors in key areas around the world (including UK, USA, The Netherlands and France) but we can send truffles anywhere in the world. Minimum order sizes may apply.

 

• We use ice packs and eskies/cool boxes in a tried and proven method to deliver to you the very freshest of truffles covered by our insurance. We recommend that upon receipt, the truffle is immediately opened and inspected, (if you report an issue within 24hrs and include a photo of the issue on scales (see T&C’s) we will replace this truffle on the next order)

 

• We recommend that the truffle is wrapped in clean cloth or paper towel and re-vacuumed. It is good for the truffle to be opened every day, towels changed and re vacuumed. Hold at 2 to 4 deg C.

 

• It is normal for truffles to lose some weight, to account for this we over pack every bag by 3%.

• Our truffles are available worldwide including:

  • UK and Europe: UK, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden

  • USA and Canada

  • Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan

 

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Truffle Grades and Weight

 

• To ensure the quality of the truffle you receive is what you expect, we work according to stringent grading standards set by the United Nations. Each truffle is thoroughly cleaned so you can trust that you are ordering pure truffle. The quality of the truffle is graded according to a tier system and priced accordingly. We will discuss the grade of truffle best suited to your needs when we speak.

 

• As part of our commitment to quality we have made a considerable investment in an on-farm grading facility. Specifically built and designed for processing truffles this is where we clean, weigh, inspect and pack our truffles to ensure the highest standards.