Cold gold: chilly Australian winter yields bumper truffle crop
The coldest winter in 30 years in New South Wales has been good news for truffle farmers. Naomi Locke follows her nose
Our hearts are pumping. The dogs are almost shaking with excitement. They're ready to hunt. With a well rehearsed cue from their handler, they set off and it doesn't take them long to pick up the intoxicating scent of Perigord black truffles.
"It's much easier with dogs than pigs," says Kate Marshall, owner of Terra Preta Truffles and also our guide for the hunt.
"You see, pigs want to eat the truffles, while the dogs are easier to train, so the decision between the two is just easy," she says as she feeds the dogs a quick treat.
Marshall then gingerly digs around the area where her trusty Labrador, Sal, indicated where the precious fungi is. It doesn't take her long to find one, in fact, it's barely an inch beneath the soil.
"Here, you can help me dig this one," Marshall says as she hands us a slender shovel. We're surprised tourists are allowed to get so close to the truffles, given that they fetch at least HK$1,600 per 100 grams. "Just be gentle and it'll be fine," Marshall reassures us. And as we carefully etch away at the soil, the unmistakable aroma of black truffle permeates the air.