VALUE ADDED: Michelle and Carl Austen-Tabone sample the prized delicacy as they launch truffle season at their Wangi Wangi restaurant. Pictures: David Quick
EARTHY: Michelle Austen-Tabone takes a closer look at the enchanting truffles.
FOR 10 days the Wangi Wangi Italian restaurant Vita is offering the world's second most expensive food ingredient.
Truffles are small tumor deformities that grow on the roots of oak trees.
The French, purportedly the world's biggest consumers of truffles, use pigs to find and dig up the curious wart-like fungi.
"But truffles do grow in Western Australia, though they cost $3000 a kilogram," Vita owner operator Michelle Austen-Tabone said.
"They use specially trained hunting dogs to harvest the truffles," she said.
'Truffles have to be really fresh and are used very thinly sliced on the top of dishes such as souffles, special pizzas and other dishes. It adds a distinctively enchanting, earthy fragrance to any dish."
The restaurant will start their 10-day season with 100 grams of specially flown-in truffles.
"We'll make a special pizza for $55 which people can share. Many people are simply curious to find out what they taste like," she said.
The Vita truffle season runs from June 20 to 30.
Footnote: The world's most expensive culinary ingredient is the legendary saffron.
