Matt Moran goes hunting for truffles in Daylesford in Episode 3. Find out more about these buried treasures.
A truffle is one of a type of subterranean mushroom, or the fruiting body of such a mushroom.
Spore dispersal is accomplished through fungivores, animals that eat fungi. Almost all truffles are found in close association with trees. Learn more about these buried treasures!
- Australia has over 1,000 native truffles, none of which are edible.
- Indigenous Australian truffles are extremely attractive to marsupials, which spread the truffle spore.
- Australian commercial truffles are propagated from the black Perigord truffle originating in France.
- A few varieties of trees are used to grow truffles, French Oak, English Oak, Hazelnut and Quercus Ilex.
- In Australia dogs are preferred over pigs to find truffles. Pigs tend to eat the product.
- Georgie Patterson breeds and trains dogs (Field Spaniels and Welsh Springer Spaniels) specifically for the truffle retrieval business.
- Her property is a 1100-tree Truffiere growing several varieties of truffles.
- This area is great for growing truffles because they need extremely cold weather & frosts (they say it usually takes 6 frosts in a winter season for the truffles to grow.
- A few varieties of trees are used to grow truffles, French Oak, English Oak, Hazelnut and Quercus Ilex.
- Georgie says she started Aussie Truffle Dogs to provide purebred registered working dogs to fill the harvesting needs of the truffle industry.
- Aussie Truffle Dogs is Australia’s first registered Truffle Dog Breeding & Training Business.
For more information, visit www.aussietruffledogs.com.au
