For many centuries black truffles have been growing wild in certain parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy. The rarity and scarcity of these 'black diamonds' makes them very expensive.
Retailing at around $3000 per kilogram, they continue to be one of the world's most expensive edible commodities. The king of black truffles, tuber melansosporum, is the one you'll find growing throughout France and in parts of Italy.
It is also the truffle being grown with great success right here in Western Australia.
The Mundaring Truffle Festival aims to celebrate the prized French black truffle, grown in Western Australia and produced in larger quantities here than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. The festival runs at the height of the West Australian truffle-growing season.
The Mundaring Truffle Festival offers a full weekend of truffle tastings and cooking classes from masterclass to demonstrations, a bustling gourmet produce market, truffle themed long table luncheons, children’s food activities, food for thought information sessions, truffle dog demonstrations, a regional wine show and much more.
History of the festival
The Festival was inspired by Alain Fabregues, chef-owner of internationally - acclaimed dining room The Loose Box in Mundaring. 
He had been watching the rapid growth of WA’s truffle industry with great interest. Already, Western Australian truffles were finding their way onto the menus of some of Australia's most celebrated dining rooms.
This was cause for celebration and holding a truffle festival in Mundaring was key to Fabregues’ vision. He believed that, as in France, a truffle festival should be held in a small village, giving the event an intimate, communal atmosphere.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Truffles have been around for many centuries. The Egyptians ate them coated in goose fat while the ancient Greeks and Romans reckoned they had therapeutic and aphrodisiac qualities.
In France, sadly the traditional truffle grounds have suffered through deforestation and the use of pesticides. In Perigord, the country's most famous truffle-growing region, 1800 tons of truffles were harvested in 1914. Today, far less than 40 tonnes are harvested each year in the whole of France.
Happily, the Perigord truffle is being cultivated in some of the cooler parts of Australia and New Zealand.
The truffles grown in Western Australia come from the south- west community of Manjimup. The region's damp, well-irrigated soils and Mediterranean climate are clearly just what le docteur ordered.
WA is now producing more black truffles than the rest of Australia put together and attracting chefs’ attention around the world.
Truffle is a new experience for the majority of Australians and that’s why the Mundaring Truffle Festival is a great opportunity to taste it, learn about how it is grown and harvested and soak up some of the truffle mythology that has gripped gourmets forever.
ALAIN FABRÈGUES
The quintessential French master who now calls Australia home received two knighthoods for his services to French Culture through cuisine; in 1994 from President Mitterrand and in 2003 from President Chirac, and is an MOF.
His restaurant, The Loose Box, has twice been awarded the title of Best Restaurant in Australia. He was also named Chef of the Year for four consecutive years.
Alain, a natural chef, started cooking as a child of six, helping his grandmother make patés. His family has a tradition of cooking which dates back to Napoleonic days - his great-great grandmother cooked for Napoleon's army.
Alain was an apprentice in Bordeaux, and later went on to work with various masters of French cuisine.
Alain's education and apprenticeship was under the noted master the late Jean Delaveyne.
He is also the recipient of many awards which include the Meilleur Ouvrier de France 1991, the Mérite Agricole 1994, and the Mérite National 2004.
Last year the restaurant was anonymously reviewed for the New York Times. Alain only found out about it when he wondered why he had received various bookings totalling twenty covers from diners who lived in New York. New York is twenty-seven hours fly time from Mundaring.
Alain has a small trufferie on his farm in the countryside of Perth. He is passionate about fresh food, and truffles.
What are the aims of the festival?
- Built on the foundations of quality, gourmet local Western Australian grown, farmed and produced food products.
- Create a true food oriented festival encouraging the use of, cooking and education about fresh local produce.
Attendance Figures:
2007 – 3,000 (inaugural festival)
2008 – 11,000
2009 – 24,000
2010 – 21,000+
2011 - 12,000
Visitors:
· Food lovers
· Families
· Gourmet producers
· WA producers
· Chefs
· Food industry