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What is a truffle?
When we talk Truffles in Australia, we refer to the black or Perigord truffle (Tuber melanosporum), as currently grown in the northern hemisphere (Europe and America), and now being cultivated in Australia and New Zealand.
Why do we need a dog to find them?
Truffles are a fungus and grow under the ground as a result of a symbiotic relationship with the roots of particular trees (for example oaks, chestnut and hazelnuts) infected with the appropriate mycorrhiza (literally, fungus root).
Originally growing wild, in places like France and Italy the past decade has seen considerable research, in Australia, into developing the capability of cultivating them as a domestic crop. The truffles form in late summer and slowly mature during autumn and are ready to harvest in winter. They can be found breaking the surface of the ground or down to 200 millimetres / 7 inches deep and are best located by a trained dog, from the aroma they emit when ripening.
Some growing areas use (Sows) female pigs to find the truffle, as the aroma of the truffle has the similar scent of a hormone from a (Boar) male pig. The Sow is attracted to the truffle, using her snout to dig it out, then she tries to eat it. Many harvesters (Rabassiers) lose fingers trying to retrieve the truffle from the pig’s mouth.Frans Truffle Dogs now under contract with The Wine and Truffle Company in Manjimup, Western Australia.
http://wineandtruffle.com.au/Wineandtrufflepeople
Our dogs, Sunny and Izzie will be harvesting the truffles for the Wine and Truffle Company from their 13,000 Oak and Hazel Nut trees. To see what the dogs have been up to visit http://wineandtruffle.com.au/blog
Or follow the dogs antics around the trufferie and farm, http://twitter.com/SunnyandIzzie
You will be able to see the dogs work on the truffle tours at the Wine and Truffle Company, http://wineandtruffle.com.au/trufflehuntbookings