Truffle hunting
with Anna Terry

What does it take to unearth Tasmania’s prized black truffles?

Anna Terry and her trio of trained truffle dogs have mastered the art of hunting for these rare fungi, coveted by chefs across the globe, in the fertile soil beneath the 5000-odd trees of the Truffle Farm.

During the Off Season, while many crops lie dormant, Anna and her crack canine team invite you to help hunt (and taste) aromatic winter truffles, and hear the storied history of how her dad, Tim Terry, grew Australia’s very first black truffle.

The unusual fungi scent of a freshly dug winter truffle is difficult to describe.

“It’s a really hard thing to put into words,” says Anna, owner-operator of the farm just outside of Deloraine.

When you are unearthing one in the dirt, you pick up this sweetness in the soil… It's very pungent. It's very intense.

The Truffle Farm harvests in both summer and winter, and runs truffle-hunting tours from December through to September. In the cooler months, Anna treats guests to an authentic experience that closely mirrors her own life on the farm.

On an afternoon truffle hunt with the dogs, you’ll forage and hunt for truffles among the farm’s frosty groves of trees. Post-foraging sesh, relax by a firepit and watch on as your work is transformed into molten handmade truffle s’mores, paired with elegant Tasmanian wine.

What makes Tasmanian truffles special?

Anna puts the intensity of flavour down to slow growth and cool climate. Tasmania sits on a similar latitude to Provence, France, in the northern hemisphere – an area also renowned for growing beautiful truffles.

A lot of chefs believe that the Tasmanian truffle has a sweetness to it that truffles across the rest of the country don't.

When asked about her favourite truffle-inspired recipes, Anna has three staunch favourites: truffle scrambled eggs, truffle mashed potato and truffle pasta.

“When I smell truffles, I just feel at home,” she says. “It's my calm, it's my happy place.”

Bite into one of Anna’s truffle-infused masterpieces by the crackling fire and you’ll quickly understand why.

How are truffles grown in Tasmania?

Growing truffles is no easy feat. These enigmatic fungi develop beneath trees inoculated with truffle spores and the conditions need to be just right. It takes years for a tree to produce truffles – and there are no guarantees.

“They are so particular in the type of soil they like, the pH, aeration, climate, sunlight, water – all those stars need to align,” Anna says. “So it really is quite a miracle when they happen.”

Alongside their delicate flavours favoured by chefs and foodies, the scarcity and the manual labour that goes into growing and finding truffles elevates them to luxury status.

How are Tasmanian truffles harvested?

Truffles are completely hidden beneath the surface and are dug up by hand, using specially trained truffle dogs to sniff them out.

Without the dogs, we actually can't find the truffles.

“They’re pets, as well as work dogs, as well as colleagues… It's a pretty special bond."