Sake and truffle tasting ushers in Tasmanian black Perigord truffle season
A truffle and sake master class for senior chefs has heralded Tasmania's 2015 black truffle season.
The unusual pairing of Japan's traditional rice wine with truffle was the idea of Tamar Valley Truffles owner John Baily.
He said the niche industry was preparing for its 16th winter harvest.
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"Today's event is really focussing on Japan, where it is going with its culture and what it's been doing," he said.
"We've got the oldest sake from a company in Japan created in 1717 (Kakurei Co)."
Traditional Koto music by Etsuko Sakai accompanied the master class led by Japanese chef Katsunobu Kitoaka, a specialist in European cuisine.
Mr Kitaoka has previously run his own restaurant in France, but said he had discovered Tasmanian truffles about four years ago.
"As you know, the truffle production is getting smaller and smaller in the original country France," Mr Kitaoka said through a translator.
"This is the best environment to produce any produce. Tasmania is high quality, beautiful air and cleanest water.
"So I am really looking forward to the Tasmanian truffle."
Mr Kitaoka's truffle and sake menu included corn croquette with truffle salt, potato crepe with truffle salt, truffle mustard baked rice ball with oyster cream sauce, scrambled egg with truffle honey and potato pancake with truffle honey sauce.
Mr Baily said the he wanted to inspire local chefs who had already used fresh truffles in their menus, by combining the fresh fungus with truffle infused products.
He said Tasmanian truffle companies were developing a range of truffle condiments and preserves for the domestic and export markets.
"So it's a whole new gambit of the usage of truffle," Mr Baily said.
"We are doing our own thing, but we are so multicultural, so it's a matter of utilising certain aspects from certain countries.
"We can learn from that and improve on that for our own wellbeing.
"Everybody copies everybody, don't we, I mean this whole truffle range of products really came from Italy and France.
"We've got the beginning of a really exciting food boom and we have got to be riding on that wagon."
Source : ABC Rural Rose Grant May 25th 2015
