TRUFFLES AUSTRALIS http://www.milonic.com/styleproperties.php

The History of Truffles For almost three thousand years, truffles have delighted the fortunate few. The ancient Sumerians, Greeks, and Romans knew this culinary treasure. Pope Gregory IV boosted his mettle with a meal of truffles before battling the Saracens. In the Middle Ages, tartufo was known as witches' fare. At the royal court of Turin in the 1700s, truffle hunts were organized to honor visiting dignitaries. Lord Byron kept the precious fungus on his desk to stimulate the imagination. Truffles still delight the crowned heads of the world, but the new royalty is no less enchanted. Ever since 1949, when Giacomo Morra, restauranteur from Alba, made a gift of the best truffle found that year to Rita Hayworth, the tradition has continued... Winston Churchill, Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, Pope John Paul II, Valentino are among those who have accepted the delectable honor. In more recent times truffle plantations have been established in New Zealand, Australia, America, England and Sweden to name a few places. The development of a southern hemisphere industry has been turbulent and with very mixed results, especially in New Zealand and Australia and as with any new industry it takes time to sort out the bugs and mugs, which has largely been done and with yields increasing with some degree of certainty gourmets of the world will shortly be able to enjoy the delights of black truffles almost year round. Truffle prices from Northern hemisphere vary from year to year basically dictated by seasonal conditions and availability of truffles. Over the past 10 years prices have varied from $2000 per kg down to around $1500 per kg for first grade truffles, but there have been occasions where much higher prices have been achieved. As producers in the Southern Hemisphere we are six months out from the traditional season harvest and hence there is a huge demand for our limited supply which has kept our average price or our first grade truffles over the past 5 years at around $3000 per kg.

info@trufflesaustralis.com.au       +61 3 6363 6194