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Caption: farm to plate Truffles
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Caption: Tamar Valley Truffles, just outside Launceston, @Tasmania, hold an annual truffle degustation and hunt experience.
This cute guy has the nose for the job!
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Caption: Our accommodation for the weekend was the charmingly chic Red Feather Inn at Hadspen, near Launceston.
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Caption: The Inn dates from 1842, when it was one of the first coaching inns in Tasmania. The fit out is sensitive, yet modern and luxurious.
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Caption: And this is what the weekend is about - French Perigord truffles. The dogs sniff them out, then the farmer sniffs the dirt too - a trained nose can sense if the truffle is ready for harvest.
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Caption: A freshly dug out truffle, sniffed by a keen forager. The truffles are strongly scented - and vary in smell for different people.
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Caption: At the farm, fresh truffle is delicately sliced into a cup of delicious parsnip and truffle soup to warm us up on a cool winters day.
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Caption: And fresh baguette topped with truffle infused butter and cheese is offered for dipping. Who could say no to that!
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Caption: After resting our stomachs for a night, breakfast is at the magnificent Stillwater restaurant in Launceston. Yes, more truffles!
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Caption: A breakfast fit for a Queen: twice-cooked truffle soufflé, slow (four hours) cooked truffle infused eggs, house smoked salmon and pancetta crumbs. Paired beautifully with a glass of 2008 Lake Barrington (Tasmania) Alexandra sparkling.
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Caption: After breakfast, we took the short walk to Launceston's impressive Cataract Gorge - the perfect place to walk off all that divinely scrumptious fare. And gave us a chance to reflect on this little spore that causes such a stir around the world.
I hope you've enjoyed this truffle experience. Perhaps we'll see you there in 2015?
Follow @LoveThyWalrus here and on Instagram for more Tasmanian and international experiences.