Truffle Melbourne – a favourite event in Melbourne’s culinary calendar – is back for its third consecutive winter. Already the largest truffle festival outside of Europe, the festival is dedicated to all things truffle and will host over 20 urban and rural truffle events during June, July and August. Truffle Melbourne is devoted to democratising the truffle, revealing its secrets, satisfying the curious and celebrating the fabulous fungus.
A two day lineup of free truffle-centric events will take place at Prahran Market on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June. Over 25,000 intrigued visitors tried truffle at Prahran Market last year, and this year sees new attractions.
During Prahran Market hours on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June, some of Melbourne’s hottest and best truffle chefs such as Guy Grossi, Philippe Mouchel, Paul Wilson and Nicky Reimer will conduct cooking demonstrations showcasing dishes using truffle.
Truffle Marketplace
In the Truffle Marketplace, Meat Maiden will be serving their famous smoked beef and pork sausage in a bun ($14), truffled crab and mac and cheese bombs ($10.00) and Truffle Fries ($8.00). Madame Truffles will be turning out truffle and cheese toasties and truffle pork jowl rarebit as well as their moreish truffle caramel popcorn.
Piper Street Food Co will be serving three mouth-watering dishes from which to choose. What to order? A truffled cassoulet with a side of truffled peas ($13.00), traditional English pork pies with truffled mushy peas ($10.00) or a slice of truffled chicken terrine ($10.00).
Joelle’s French crepes will be made fresh to order and filled with a choice of truffled sugar or a savoury truffle butter featuring truffle from New South Wales.
Black Cat Truffles will showcase fresh truffle from Victoria while Tamar Valley Truffles will offer a taste of Tasmanian truffles. Festival attendees can try them both and see if there is a difference. A selection of cheeses, mustards and honey will be available for purchase.
Mock truffle hunt anyone?
Truffle dogs Arrow and Spice will demonstrate their skills with mock truffle hunts.
At 11.30am and 1pm on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June, there will be a funny, informative and adorable demonstration from trained truffle hunting dogs, Spice and Arrow. It’s ideal for young people and dog lovers alike.
Feeling thirsty? Grand Millesime World Wine Bar will quench thirsts with an extraordinary array of French, New Zealand and quality wines all carefully selected to pair expertly with truffles.
Festival-goers can try truffled scrambled eggs, truffle risotto and porcini mushroom soup topped with shaved truffle at Aroma Cafe, a truffled Welsh rarebit on offer at Rumbles Patisserie and a much talked about truffled grilled cheese sandwich at Maker & Monger. At Chapel Street Cellars at the Market, they’ll be serving a truffle burger as well as a dish of truffle gnocchi. At the same time, Kathy Tsaples and her team at Sweet Greek will be dishing up duck and wild mushroom risoni with shaved truffle.
Fresh truffles and truffled products from across the country and around the world will be available –think truffled cheeses, truffle-infused eggs, truffle honey, truffle salt, truffle polenta, Pepe Saya truffle butter and truffled popcorn, truffle-filled pastas and even a chocolate truffle made with truffle!
There are plenty of truffled items to take home including veal and truffle chipolatas from Gary’s Quality Meats, free range butterflied chicken marinated in truffle oil, garlic and fresh thyme and pulled pork with mushrooms and shaved truffle from Neil’s Meats.
If that’s not enough, there is also a free food and travel photography workshop taking place every hour of the two day free event. One workshop will focus (pardon the pun) on practical tips and tricks to take food photos while the Market Photo Walk will concentrate how to capture memorable travel images.
Additional details and information is available at www.trufflemelbourne.com.
