Truffle Hunt in Te Puke

posted in: Oceania, Wanderlust | 0


Truffles are one of the rarest and most expensive fungi in the world. They are exquisite and have the unique ability to enhance savoury and even sweet dishes. There is nothing better than the smell and flavour of thin slices of fresh black truffle on top of homemade tagliatelle.

When Kitchen Takeover published this event to go on a truffle hunt in Te Puke, I knew I had to buy my spot right away. Since 2015, Maureen and Colin, owners of Te Puke truffles, have been harvesting delicious black truffles in the Bay of Plenty. Truffles are a type of fungi that grow underground. They are notoriously tricky to grow, but also as difficult to find (especially if you don’t have a truffle dog).


After a good cup of morning tea, we started the day off with an introduction into the world of truffles. From Maureen and Colin’s starts in the truffle industry to the best preservation methods, we have learned so much about this wonderful fungi. Lots of people don’t know that the majority of truffle oil isn’t actually made with truffles. It’s often made synthetically with an aromatic molecule that gives truffles their distinctive smell.

As the truffles hide underground, you rely on dogs to sniff out the treasure. Their dog Jed, a trained truffle-sniffing dog, even found a huge 424.5g truffle today. This was just an amazing experience and I would recommend every foodie in the Bay of Plenty to visit Te Puke Truffles.

If you fancy some fresh truffles, head over to their FB page or their website www.tepuketruffles.com. Fresh truffles are available for sale during June and July. Stay tuned to see what delicious dish we are making with the truffles we bought. (not the ones from the picture 😉 )