I did not realize how successful the Australians have been in cultivating black truffles until I had the pleasure of visiting Manjimup in Western Australia to see for myself. The Truffle & Wine Company‘s truffière in that little town two hours south of Perth is quite simply the most productive black truffle farm in the world. I was visiting on behalf of the Robb Report, where my article on the subject, “Move Over, Monsieur,” appears in the May issue. You can also read a copy here on the “Some Articles” page of HungryTravelers.

I’m happy to report that there’s now a reliable pipeline of supply from Manjimup to the U.S., and some of the country’s top chefs have discovered the joys of pairing fresh black truffle with fresh summer produce. (The more-familiar European black truffles arrive December to March, also known as “root vegetable season.” ) The supply line is mostly for chefs and fancy food distributors, since black truffles have a very brief shelf life, but individuals can also order at the web site, www.truffleandwineusa.com.

I brought one home to experiment, and later this month, as the Australian black truffle season gets into gear, we’ll be posting some summertime black truffle recipes.