Foodies are gathering this weekend for the Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene. The 15-year old event has helped to heighten the reputation of the fragrant fungus that’s native here.
When Leslie Scott helped found the festival, Oregon truffles were not as well regarded as their European counterparts. She says they’ve become more prized and more expensive in recent years.
“So, we can say, that in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, we have one of the world’s great truffle regions and the only one in North America.”
Charles Ruff is culinary Director of the Oregon Truffle Festival.
“Chefs are doing lots of great stuff. There’s some really fascinating food science out there. What truffles do with particularly milk fat and butterfat is just magic.
The festival includes truffle dog training, lectures, a grand dinner and on Sunday, a fresh truffle marketplace at the Graduate Hotel in Eugene.