Truffle feast

Join in the hunt or, better still, lap up the delicacies that result when Victoria devotes three whole months to the celebration of truffles.

Photography by Truffle Melbourne

23 June 2022

Truffles, the much-prized edible fungi that grow underground among the roots of certain trees are on the menu at some of Victoria’s most esteemed establishments.

In fact, 2022 promises a bumper truffle crop with demand outpacing previous years.

With a very short shelf life, truffles are seasonal, extremely difficult to grow, and take many years to cultivate. Truffles require a very specific climate and require lots of oak trees – hence their value.

Truffles are tricky to locate, but their strong aroma makes it easier for dogs to find them, which is all part of the fun.

Over three months, Truffle Melbourne will deliver a program of events to celebrate all things truffle, including truffle hunts across Victoria.

Fresh truffles are available for home delivery via trufflemelbourne.com or at Truffle Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market pop-up on market days (Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday) at Queen Victoria Market.

The pop-up shop is located in the I Shed just near the famous American donut van.

The truffle is the hero ingredient over winter at an array of Victorian restaurants, venues and hotels.

Truffle hunts with Australian shepherd dogs are part of the fun, and result in amazing dishes.

The three-month program of events will celebrate all things truffle.

Truffle hunts

Truffle hunts at Gembrook Truffles in the Dandenong Ranges are available for $140 per person and include a hunt with Willow, an Australian shepherd with an exceptional nose for finding truffles, as well as a taste of truffles and refreshments.

At Truffle Treasures near Daylesford, guests will be taken on a truffle hunt with canine truffle hunters Abbie and Holly before enjoying a tasting of truffles and an informative fireside chat. Tickets are available for $135 per person.

Truffle Melbourne’s Dining Program

Don’t miss these special epicurean events.

- Sunday 10 July: Annual truffle lunch and truffle dinner at Bomba with chef Jesse Gerner.
- Wednesday 13 July: Annual truffle dinner at Taxi Kitchen with chef Tony Twitchett.
- Saturday 23 July: Annual truffle lunch at Anada with chef Jesse Gerner.
- Wednesday 27 July: Annual truffle dinner at Florentino with Guy Grossi.

Plus, there’s an additional dinner with Philippe Mouchel and others to be announced.

The Langham, Melbourne’s Aria Bar and Lounge, Melba Restaurant and in-room dining are also featuring truffles as a hero ingredient for their winter menus.

The Langham Melbourne’s Executive Chef Thomas Rappl has been intrigued by truffles since he first tasted the exotic fungi on a trip to Strasbourg in Eastern France over 35 years ago.

Aria Bar and Lounge’s menu items include a garlic and truffle cream soup topped with a poached egg ($22), fresh spaghetti with shaved truffle, house-made guanciale, egg and parsley ($32), a grass-fed beef burger with cheese, salt-cured mushrooms, egg and shaved truffle ($36) and a roasted free-range chicken breast with mash potatoes, baby carrots, broccolini and truffle Madeira jus ($39).

Melba Restaurant will have a dozen truffle dishes on rotation, including a lasagne with beef ragout and truffle cream, and spaghetti with truffle and white pork Bolognese, to name just a few.

Reservations to Melba Restaurant can be made online .

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