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My conclusion?
We don't have a culinary truffle culture and we won't
see local truffles appearing on local menus if the task of educating the
public is left to restaurants. (Who are cautious about using
them at such a high price.)
It's ok to fix an international price if
you want to play in that market, and we should. Especially
America. But within the next few
Australian seasons, it will be time to develop a
robust regional market. I suggest it will be the independent
growers that drive it. Watch for the truffle stall at your
Farmers' Market.
If the growers aren't locked in by contracts, once their farm
reaches profitability they will be able to sell to their
friends and acquaintances at the price they think is fair.
There must still be a fair return to the grower, but it
needs a price that's fixed by local demand
and a long term growth in supply, I bet the price wont be $3000 a kilo.
Then we'll be able to enjoy some of that Umbrian generosity
of cooking with truffles. I can't wait.
Fred Harden 22 July2008
Books and websites.
Taming the truffle Ian Hall et al.
The Truffle book Gareth Renowden President NZ Truffle
Association (See his
On the Farm blog)
The Australian
Trufflegrowers Association website.
Truffles
Australis - the only Australian source of infected (mycorrhized)
nursery trees.
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Links and Bits:
The title
for this piece? It dates me from my early tech journo
days. Remember the Whole Earth Review?
Finding the truffles is still more art than
science. Remind me to tell you
Tim Terry's
story of the
bionic
truffle finding 'nose'.
It works but dogs still rule ok?
The seminal 1996
RIRDC report
"EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF GROWING TUBER MELANOSPORUM
AS A CROP ON MAINLAND AUSTRALIA FOR EXPORT AND DOMESTIC
CONSUMPTION" Hmmmm, see the taxation comments, the
estimate of 20 days a year for tending and maintenance. It
shows how we've progressed in 12 years.
Duncan Garvey's Truffle section in the
RIRDC 2004 New Crops PDF about Perigord Truffles of
Tasmania (PTT)
We'll soon see the importation of
Chinese truffles. Tony Bilson is the first Australian
chef I've seen
quoted saying he buys his truffles from Tibet "for
a fraction of the Australian price". (Tibetan sounds
better than China on a menu. The variety is Tuber Sinensis
or Himalayensis) Unless they get
passed off as black Perigord truffles (our farmed
variety), education will be the only defense to
maintain appreciation, and accordingly payment to the future
local producers. Knowledge and good labeling will let us make local choices.
French sniff at Chinese truffles - SMH article from The
Telegraph London. The mention
Kunming Rare Truffle Company (see Jianming Wu's story on
the
About page) He's also quoted
here in Time magazine
~RF
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