Australia's largest truffle dug up in southern highlands of NSW
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Version 0 of 1. The largest truffle found in Australia has been dug up and sold in the New South Wales southern highlands. Ted Smith, of Yelverton Truffles in Robertson, found the truffle when out hunting with his dog. The French black Périgord truffle weighed in at 1.172kg, just shy of the world record 1.3kg fungus found in France in 2012. "I knew it was big but it was only when I got back to the homestead here, washed it, cleaned it, dried it and weighed it, it went off the Richter on the measuring device that I had and set off an alarm,” Smith told ABC News. The weight of it was too much for his scales, he said, so the truffle was taken to the local post office. It has been sold to Bowral’s Centennial winery and restaurant for an undisclosed sum. Peter Gilmore, owner and head chef of Sydney’s acclaimed Quay restaurant, toured the US this month with The Truffle & Wine Co in the leadup to the Australian season. “The beauty of truffle is that it’s at its best when served very simply in something like pasta, risotto or shaved into scrambled eggs,” he told Max Veenhuyzen of Guardian Australia. Australia’s burgeoning truffle industry – particularly the production of black truffles – is capturing the attention of foodies around the world. Conditions in the southern highlands are said to produce truffles of a quality on par with France and Italy. There are more than 160 commercial truffle growers in Australia but there are no guarantees of success. “Due to many variables some growers have invested substantial money and time into ventures that are only producing small quantities of truffle – while others are enjoying bountiful harvests and profits,” the Australian Truffle Growers Association said. The association told Guardian Australia the 2011 haul was estimated to have been 3,265kg, increasing to 4,650kg in 2012. Depending on quality, truffles can sell for up to $2,500 a kilogram. |