The Canberra and Region Truffle Festival seeks to ease the pain of winter with dozens of truffle hunts, cooking lessons, fireside dinners and wine tastings.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr officially launched the festival at the Fyshwick markets on Friday, June 3 with wood-fired truffle pizzas and canapes from C Dine Bar and 3 Seeds.

There was also a mini truffle hunt featuring an extremely fluffy young truffle dog in training - who got a little excited, ignored the prized fungi and instead investigated various members of the audience for treats.

Mr Barr said the event, now in its eighth year, had a key role to play in Canberra's tourism strategy. "It's growing in reputation, growing in events and I think poised to play a really significant role in our winter events program."

And the much-anticipated launch of direct international flights from Canberra to Singapore later this year has the potential to transform the way Canberrans look at winter for good - one public servant's freezing misery is a tropical tourist's novelty winter playground.

"Singapore has very consistent weather. So whilst many people have said winter is a difficult period for Canberra tourism it actually provides - if marketed properly - a real point of difference for this destination," Mr Barr said.

"The truffle festival is one of those real points of difference. There aren't many major cities in the world where you can have this sort of festival, this sort of authentic experience from the farm gate all the way through to the plate so close to the city."

3 Seeds Cooking School owner Andrew Haskins will be hosting a variety of events during the three months, including handmade truffle pasta classes for kids and truffle workshops.

There are also truffle hunts at farms across the region and an appearance from cook and writer Rodney Dunn, who has just published a truffle cookbook, at Monster restaurant.

"Andrew is giving me the killer fact that it's the Singapore market that's most excited by truffles," Mr Barr said.

"But we can't export it all. There has to be a sufficient amount kept for the domestic market.... It [the festival] brings together all of the key players not just in the city but in the region too. It works really well for the broader Canberra region."

The Canberra and Region Truffle Festival runs until August. See trufflefestival.com.au