In case you haven't noticed them popping up on menus all over town, it's truffle season and the Canberra Truffle Festival is on now, running until August. Here's where and how to get your truffle fix:
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TASTE
The most simple way to taste the fungus is at your nearest restaurant, with special truffle menus at a wide range of eating spots in Canberra and the surrounds. We particularly like the sound of the four course breakfast truffle degustation at Pod Food on Sunday June 18 ($80, podfood.com.au) and the freshly infused truffle beer available at BentSpoke.
You can also find special truffle events or truffles on the menu at Otis Dining Hall, Benchmark Wine Bar, Pialligo Estate, the National Press Club, Poachers Pantry, Redsalt Restaurant, Les Bistronomes, Helix Bar and Dining, Bicicletta, Pulp Kitchen, Chifley's Bar and Grill, Agostinis, Contentious Character, Pankhurst Wines and many more.
COOK
At upwards of $2000 per kilogram, you're probably not going to have fresh truffle lying around your kitchen very often. But you can still learn to cook with them. Foodish at Belconnen Markets has Truffle Magic cooking classes on Sundays from June 18 where participants assist in cooking a degustation menu showcasing truffles, before sitting down to enjoy their creation. $135 per person including paired wines from cookingclassescanberra.com.au.
HUNT
Go to the roots, literally, of finding truffles on a truffle hunt. Join highly trained and equally adorable truffle dogs on the search for truffles that are ready for harvest. Most hunts finish with a tasting of some sort - some even include a full lunch degustation featuring the freshly harvested morsels. For a list of truffle hunt options see trufflefestival.com.au.
MORE DOGS
If you're really more going for the dogs, head to the Blessing of the Truffle Dogs on Sunday June 18. Rug up and head to the official start of the truffle season for the Canberra region at Tarago Truffles in Tarago. Meet the dogs, watch them get blessed for a prosperous season, then tuck into a country-style lunch with plenty of truffle. ($120, eventbrite.com).
LEARN
Got the truffle bug and think you've got what it takes to farm your own? Noel Fitzpatrick and Colin Carter will host two seminars on black truffle and hazelnut growing, with insight into how to get into the industry. Also includes lunch and a truffle farm walk at Blue Frog Truffles. June 17 and August 27 at Ibis Styles Eaglehawk. ($160, trufflegrowing.com/events).
TRUFFLES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
If getting out to the farms or even a restaurant is a bit much for the family, Westfield Woden and Westfield Belconnen are both holding truffle market days. At the free events, there's cooking demonstrations from local chefs, wine tastings, truffle hunt demonstrations, local market stalls, food tastings, kids activities and giveaways. It's on at Westfield Belconnen on June 24, and Westfield Woden on July 22.
For a full program of events see trufflefestival.com.au/schedule.
