A growing truffle industry in Western Australia is attracting the interest of chefs from around the world, the state's Tourism Minister and Deputy Premier Kim Hames says.
Launching the 2011 Mundaring Truffle Festival in Perth on Tuesday, Dr Hames said truffles were a new experience for most Australians and the festival was a chance to taste and learn about the underground fungus.
He said the festival, to be held at Mundaring in the Perth Hills on the weekend of July 30-31, would be bigger and better this year with sponsorship from the government's Eventscorp.
The minister said the festival had grown significantly in the past five years from 3000 attendees to more than 21,000 local, interstate and international visitors.
"Western Australia produces more black truffles than the rest of Australia combined and this is attracting chefs' attention around the world," Dr Hames said in a statement.
The festival's program features appearances by high profile chefs including Malaysian celebrity Chef Wan who will demonstrate truffle-themed Malaysian dishes.
Dr Hames said Chef Wan's participation was a good opportunity for the state to showcase the very best of its local produce to an international market.
The festival also features art and craft workshops, truffle master classes, a fresh truffle and gourmet produce market and long table truffle lunches.
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