Truffles: Buried Treasures

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