What is a Truffle?

Truffles are graded according to their size, appearance, colour and aroma.

Variety:
Tuber melanosporum – these are French Black Truffles or Perigord Truffles that we grow at our Manjimup property, they also go by the name of Manjimup Truffles.

Truffle Harvest Period:
Harvest season begins in June and runs through to end August.

What makes a great truffle?
Truffles vary in size and shape but the wonderful aroma, taste and colour are always present in mature truffles, harvested at the right time.

Are there different grades of truffles?
There is one very important thing to always remember when looking to buy truffles: winter is the peak of the truffle season. A truffle will be at its best, and most flavourful during the winter harvest, which typically goes from June to August.

Also, remember that weather conditions change depending on the year and the geographic location, so there are other factors that affect truffle harvests, like an unusually warm winter, or an early spring.

What are truffle “classes”?
Truffles are graded in France as either Extra, 1st Class, 2nd Class or Unclassified.
The chief difference between 1st Class and Extra truffles being the minimum size (Extra Class truffles must weigh at least 25 grams - approximately the size of a ping-pong ball) and shape (Extra truffles must have a "beautiful round shape")

Extra grade truffles only permit "very slight" as opposed to "slight" defects - the line between "very slight" and "slight" changes throughout the season and from season to season.

One important detail to remember is that bigger truffles fetch bigger prices because truffles are priced by weight, not size. So, a bigger truffle will be heavier, and therefore cost more. Size does not affect the flavour, aroma or quality of truffles.

We do not limit ourselves to Extra grade Australian truffles exclusively because some of the criteria (e.g. roundness) have no culinary merit. In the case of size, we do believe that 30-40 grams is an excellent range (very small truffles are hard to handle and lack that "wow factor", very large truffles have a lower percentage of surface area which is where aroma is most concentrated.)

Are there any defects when it comes to fresh truffles?
At The Wine & Truffle Co we select truffles that are relatively defect-free. We are not willing, however, to pass up a mature truffle with an intense bouquet just because it has some minor flaws. Often the most perfect looking truffles are those that are picked while a little immature - which will never develop their full aroma potential. We think you'll agree that aroma and flavour are what matter most in selecting outstanding Australian truffles.

What is an icon Truffle?
•    A single truffle weighing over 500gms
•    Sufficiently mature to have the characteristic aroma, taste and colour of the species