1. The annual Canberra Truffle Festival is incredible
The annual Canberra Truffle Festival is a winter highlight, promising fun, food and foraging. In its 10th year, this festival brings in visitors from interstate and overseas, all looking to get a bite—or two, or five—of the famous black winter truffle that is native to the region.
With over 250 events running from June to August, there really is something for everyone. Whether you want to hunt for truffles, learn to cook with truffles, or simply just eat truffles, this festival celebrates the seasonality of this special ingredient.
Truffle Fact: The Canberra region is home to more than 80 native species of truffle, but only a small handful are of culinary value.
2. You can hunt for truffles yourself
Don your gumboots and brave the chilly winter air for a truffle hunt. There are numerous truffle farms across the region that open up their truffle hunts to the public, including Turalla Truffles and Blue Frog Truffles. You'll get to join the local farmers and their truffle dogs, on a hands-on truffle hunt experience around their grounds as they search for and unearth these treasured gems.
Want to bring your own pooch along for the weekend for some canine assistance when you visit a truffle farm? The Mercure Canberra offers dedicated pet-friendly rooms with access to an enclosed garden. Let the Mercure Canberra spoil your pup with a package including pet bedding and food bowl in addition to overnight accommodation in a room that opens out to an enclosed garden, so your pet has space to roam freely.
Truffle Fact: Truffles only remain fresh in the ground for 12 days, so it's imperative that farmers have a truffle dog with a good nose.
3. Local restaurants put on great seasonal menus
For a real paddock-to-plate experience, be sure to try some truffle dishes in the local restaurants. While Canberra is a foodie destination throughout the year, it really shines during truffle season.
Enjoy a hearty meal at Agostinis, something new an innovative at Canberra's fine-dining Japanese restaurant—Raku, or head on to Bent Spoke's Brewpub to try a BentSpoke truffle-infused beer!
Truffle Fact: Truffles require the ground temperatures to drop to a certain level a number of times just before they ripen, making them hard to grow and even more precious.
4. There are plenty of great cooking classes to try
Want to learn how to cook truffle-infused food as good as the meals you tasted in Canberra? The best way to master the art of truffles is by attending a local cooking class. Some of the local truffle farms, including The Truffle Farm, run cooking classes demonstrating how to cook and eat these delectable dishes.
Truffle Fact: Truffles are said to taste like a mixture of chocolate and “earth” and smell like nutmeg.
5. It’s a great opportunity to buy fresh truffles
Now, we know you’ll be sad once your visit to the truffle festival is over, but the good news is you can take a piece home with you. While these little nuggets of gold may be a tad expensive, a little goes a long way. Whether you shave it into potato mash, scrambled eggs, pasta or risotto – truffles can make an average dish extraordinary.
Need a little inspiration? We’ve put this simple truffle pasta recipe together for you, that is sure to wow any dinner guests:
Truffle Pasta Recipe
Ingredients:
- 250g of fresh or dried fettuccine or tagliatelle
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 65g of truffles, shaved
- 100g of grated parmesan
- 50g of butter
Method:
- Boil the pasta in a large pot, according to the packet instructions,
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the garlic and ½ the truffle shavings,
- Drain the pasta and add it to the butter and truffle, mixing well,
- Add salt and pepper, to taste,
- Top with the grated parmesan and remaining shaved truffle
- Enjoy!
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