Perigord Truffles of Tasmania – the chef's black gold
In July and August black truffles are available fresh throughout Australia
Contributed articles and stories
Truffle harvest season - Perigord Truffles of Tasmania [©Photographer: Peter Whyte]
The unearthing of Australia’s first French black truffle in northern Tasmania on June 18th 1999 was the culmination of eight years work by Perigord Truffles of Tasmania. The discovery represented the attainment of a key goal in efforts to establish a successful new agribusiness industry in Australia.
Perigord's Managing Director is Duncan Garvey, who along with his business partner Peter Cooper, pioneered the French black truffle in Australia. Duncan, a sixth generation Tasmanian, studied Agricultural Economics at the University of New England.
Duncan says that "it all started early in 1991 when I overheard a conversation in a Hobart café when a person related eating truffles in a Paris restaurant. I had little previous knowledge of what a truffle was except knowing it was an expensive fungi, and I became interested, thinking that it might be new crop to develop.
Initially I contacted the French Consul in Canberra and obtaining some contact details for people involved in the French truffle industry. Approximately 6 months later I bought a ticket to Paris and started my truffle journey.
During this initial visit I met truffle farmers, truffle research scientists both in the private and government sectors, truffle marketers, soil scientists and government, the major producer of inoculated trees. I considered that it was essential to gain a complete understanding of the industry in France".
The French black truffles produced by Perigord are known scientifically as Tuber melanosporum, the renowned French winter black truffle produced in France during the northern hemisphere winter.
In recent years Perigord have expanded their production base into the very cold soils of NSW and Victoria. In Victoria the main focus of production is in the Macedon Ranges west of Melbourne.
In New South Wales, Perigord have established trufferies in southern highlands from Mittagong through to Tumbarumba in the Snowy Mountains, and from Oberon through to Orange in the central west region.
The truffles are grown in the very cold climates of South Eastern Australia in similar soils to the truffle producing areas in France. Duncan claims that the significant fact in the quality is that Perigord's truffles are produced in very cold soils.
"It is very similar to fine wine production – the correct ‘terroir’ is important to produce the finest French truffles".
The truffles reach their maturity with that wonderful perfume and flavour as the soil temperatures drop with the arrival of the winter frosts. Perigord’s truffles exhibit the same sweet, earthy fragrance and savoury characteristics of the finest truffles from the Perigord and Provence departments of Southern France. The truffles are harvested daily to ensure the freshness and quality of the truffles is maintained to the highest standard.
"During the harvest period we are harvesting daily and pride ourselves that we can have truffles delivered to their destination within 24 hours of harvest". Duncan said Perigord's philosophy is to dig, dispatch and deliver within a 24 hour period.
Perigord produces the black truffles in joint venture with the farmers. Perigord produces the inoculated trees and provides the know-how on management of the trufferie, as a truffle farm is called.
Perigord has a team of handlers and truffle dogs based in the production areas, and markets the farmers' black truffles. They are despatched to restaurants, specialist food shops, and increasingly by mail order from Perigord Truffles throughout Australia, direct to home cooks eager to sample the delights of fresh black truffles.
Contributed by Duncan Garvey, Managing Director, Perigord Truffles of Tasmania »
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