I went truffle hunting near Sydney – here's what surprised me

Time Out

3 days ago

I'm officially in my foraging era. The other month, I went deep into a pine forest in the Blue Mountains in search of a type of mushroom called saffron milk caps (no beef Wellingtons were made with them). And a few weeks ago, I visited Robertson – a quaint country town and home of the 'Big Potato' – in the beautiful Southern Highlands, around a 1.5 hour drive from Sydney. Thanks to its red volcanic basalt soil, high rainfall and frosts, it's also the perfect region for growing truffles.
We spent the day at Robertson Truffles, a family-owned and -operated truffle farm established more than 15 years ago, making it one of the first operating and producing truffle farms in Australia. Owners Tanya and Patrick Moroney produce Black Perigord truffles, grown underground near the roots of oak and hazelnut trees – they've got about 320 trees on their farm. Restaurants buy directly from them, and you can too.
Known for their intense, earthy aromas, truffles – which are a type of fungi – are considered one of the most luxe ingredients in the world. When paired well, they make food incredibly delicious – from a simple golden roast chook to creamy pasta and silky mash.
Here's everything I learnt while truffle hunting – and what surprised me.
Truffles have truffle sex to reproduce
Fungi fun facts are endless, and once you start digging (sorry), they'll blow your mind. Did you know the biggest living thing in the world is a fungus? Yep, a fungus. It's found beneath the forest floor in Oregon, USA, and covers around 965 hectares – that's about 1,350 AFL fields.
Here's another one. Scientists have coined the way truffles reproduce as truffle sex – but it's not how we know it. Truffles, like many fungi, reproduce sexually. Two compatible mating types need to be present in the soil near the host tree's roots – and when the conditions are right (hello, damp soil and cold weather), they meet and fuse. And just like us, it takes nine months for a truffle to fully mature.
As Tanya, a former medical practitioner, says to me: 'It's science, but it's magic.'
You don't really hunt for the truffles…
Unlike bananas and avos, truffles do not mature further once they've been removed from their mother mycelium – so from an aroma, taste and financial perspective, it's important to harvest them at peak ripeness. Thankfully, there's someone who can help – bonus points that they're pretty cute.
Traditionally, truffle farms in Europe have used truffle pigs to find truffles, because the females are naturally attracted to a chemical in them that's similar to a sex pheromone. But these days, it's much more common to use trained dogs to sniff out the best truffles. Twiggy and Seal were the very cute and very well-trained dogs who work at Robertson Truffles. Watching them, with their noses to the ground, lying down when they found the perfect one, was amazing. And they didn't eat them – which shows incredible restraint, if you're asking me. Once Twiggy and Seal found the best truffles, we helped Tanya and Patrick gently remove them from the soil, taking care not to damage the mycelium.
The best way to enjoy truffles is to make a butter with them – and forget about the supermarket truffle oil
Just like me, truffles love fat and cream. Patrick tells me his favourite way to enjoy truffles – and in his opinion, the best – is to make truffle butter with them. That way, the flavour is infused throughout the butter, making it go further. His go-to lunch is a toasted sandwich with truffle butter, ham and cheese. Truffle butter is also delicious twirled through angel hair pasta or spooned on top of silky mash. And whatever you do – put down the truffle oil you find at the supermarket. Most of them aren't made with real truffles, but with synthetic ingredients. Fresh is always best.
Storage-wise, place your truffles in the fridge – ideally wrapped in a paper towel inside an airtight container – and enjoy for up to 7-10 days.
It's easier and more accessible to go truffle hunting than you think
If you're keen to get in on the action, during the harvest season between June and August, guests are welcome to join a truffle hunt tour at Robertson Truffles. They also host long truffle-spiked lunches and other events throughout the year. You can find out more here.
Of course, there are other truffle farms throughout New South Wales and Australia if you're keen to get your hands dirty and have some fungi fun. Like truffle hunting, you'll need to do a bit of digging (online).
But don't wait – truffle season isn't long
All good things come to an end, and truffle season in Australia is relatively short – running from June to August. Go hard this winter. Order them at your favourite local restaurant – which supports truffle farmers – or source them yourself to enjoy at home. And soon enough, we'll be saying goodbye to them for the season. The good news? There's always next year – that's if the conditions are right, of course.