White truffles on the menu for Peter Stahle

Dr Stahle, who has a PhD in microbiology, was commissioned to research how developing such an industry could benefit the Australian economy, and how successful the venture could be.

The project, funded by the then Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, now known as AgriFutures, allowed him to travel the world "eating and talking truffles".

"Back in those days there was a very poor understanding of how to grow truffles," Dr Stahle said.

"There was a lot of organised crime involved in the distribution and sale of truffles and there was also a lot of ignorance about truffles."

His background as an agricultural scientist-turned-management consultant and his fascination around the art of growing truffles had him well-placed to understand the intricacies involved in growing the food which can retail for as much as $3 a gram.

"In meeting with chefs and restaurateurs I soon discovered that many did not have a good understanding of truffles, but they certainly knew how to cook them though," Dr Stahle said.

His initial research led him to to pursue his own truffiere, a plantation or orchard of truffles, at a 26-hectare property halfway between Yea and Seymour.

His property The Airstrip received its name by a previous owner who used the property for crop dusting and consists of 400 host trees which are "just manageable", according to Dr Stahle.

"My wife and I work the farm together and we enjoy doing it but we don't employ anyone else," he said.

It is there where Dr Stahle claims to have Australia's largest plantation of white truffles, known as bianchetto or Tuber borchii.

"In the back of my mind I was always looking for a different approach given Australia is now the third largest producer of black truffles in the world after France and Spain," he said.

"The white truffle is every bit as flavoursome and aromatic as the black truffle but it's a matter of personal preference and depends on what people like."

He described the difference between the white and black truffles as that similar to the differences between red and white wine: "It just depends on what you like".

The property was purchased in 2006 and planted with 400 Italian stone pines (Pinus pinea) which largely rely on natural rainfall but can be irrigated during prolonged dry periods.

When the truffles were planted, the truffle spores were added to the newly-germinated host tree in the ground after spending 12 months in a pot of sterilised soil.

"As the root of the host tree moves through the soil, the truffle bonds with the expanding root and it will grow on the root like a glove. As that root grows, the truffle matrix expands with it," Dr Stahle said.

The first truffles were harvested within five years which is considered a feat considering it can often take longer than a decade to produce the fine food.

A benefit of growing truffles in Australia, according to Dr Stahle, is the limited fungal competition truffles face which meant growers could start with a blank canvas.

"I sell principally to select Italian restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne," Dr Stahle said.

"There are four restaurants that I supply and because I'm fanatical about quality and the ability the serve my customers, I don't look for more."

While farm-gate sales account for only a small portion of his business, Dr Stahle said truffles could be consumed in many different ways.

"Truffles marry beautifully with fatty foods because the aroma is absorbed by the oil so it's often shaved onto hot foods like pasta with olive oils which is one of the easiest and best ways to eat it," he said.

"You can eat it with scrambled eggs or stuff it under the skin of a chicken to be roasted and it's wonderful with cheese."

The season to harvest truffles usually runs from late May until early October

"It's been fantastic season because we've had a lot of well-formed, highly aromatic truffles and we've sold just about everything that's been available for sale," Dr Stahle said.

"We have also been selling to a processor and manufacturer of truffle products which have been experimenting with the Tuber borchii."

One of the tricks of the trade for any truffle farmer is to have a dog which can smell the scent of truffles ready to be harvested.

In this case, Jose the Pug, is relied on about the property to help detect the plants ready for harvest and consumption.

"He's fantastic and to my knowledge he's the only full-blood pug in the world that is not only a working dog but also a truffle dog," Dr Stahle said.

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