About Truffles
From hidden roots beneath oak and hazelnut trees to delicate shavings at the table, the Black Truffle’s journey—shaped by soil, season, and skilled hands—transforms an unseen underground partnership into one of the plate’s most distinctive aromas and flavours.
Growing
The Black Truffle—known as the Périgord truffle, or Tuber melanosporum—is a rare edible fungus that grows quietly beneath the soil, entwined with the roots of oak and hazelnut trees.
Its existence depends on a close partnership. The tree provides energy, while the truffle returns vital nutrients through the soil. Neither thrives without the other. This unseen relationship shapes not only the truffle’s growth, but also its character and depth of flavour.
Australia is home to many native truffle species, long sought out by small mammals such as potoroos and bandicoots. While these underground finds play an important role in forest ecosystems, the Black Truffle remains singular in its appeal to human senses—its aroma and flavour unlike anything else found below the ground.
Harvesting
When the season is right, trained dogs move through the orchard, noses close to the ground, following aromas that rise from beneath the soil. The partnership between dog and handler is quiet and practiced. A pause, a mark in the earth, and the signal that a truffle is ready. Each one is uncovered by hand, carefully lifted from the soil, and carried back for its next chapter.
Washing
Once above ground, truffles are handled with the same care they received below it. They’re gently cleaned and assessed by their aroma, texture, and character—each one a little different, each shaped by the season that produced it. Only then are they weighed, wrapped, and packed, protected from moisture and kept cool to preserve what makes them special.
Storing
From the orchard, truffles begin a short, carefully managed journey. Staying cold is essential, helping lock in freshness and aroma until they reach their destination. Once home, they’re best kept simply—resting in the refrigerator, wrapped and refreshed daily, ready to be used while their scent is at its peak.
Serving
At the table, truffles ask very little. A warm dish, a sharp knife or truffle shaver, and restraint. Shaved thinly over food, their aroma fills the room before the first bite is taken. In that moment, the quiet work of the orchard, the dog’s nose, and the care taken along the way all come together—linking soil, season, and shared meals in one fleeting experience.
Our Truffles
Located in the heart of the Southern Forests, we grow and sell Manjimup's prized Black Truffle—known as the Périgord truffle, or Tuber melanosporum.
The region’s deep, free-draining karri loam soils, naturally low in phosphorous, combined with a true Mediterranean climate of cold winters and warm summers, creates the ideal truffle growing conditions. Abundant, high-quality rain water for irrigation further enhances the truffles’ depth of flavour and exceptional quality.
Fresh truffles are available during the winter harvest season from late May to mid-August.