Portland, Ore. — The Oregon truffle industry is growing up, and so is its biggest champion, The Oregon Truffle Festival, returning in January, 2017 with one of the most dynamic festival schedules yet. Tickets are on sale now for events that feature top chefs from all over the West Coast, such as Chris Cosentino, Renee Erickson, John Gorham, and Greg and Gabi Denton (see below for full chef lineup). Culinary thought leaders Harold McGee (esteemed food scientist and author of On Food and Cooking) and Dave Arnold (author and co-founder of the Museum of Food and Drink) will lead seminars on Oregon truffles, and truffle experts from around the world will gather to share innovations and research on the truffle industry.
Attendees can experience the Oregon Truffle Festival through à la carte events such as the Fresh Truffle Marketplace, Grand Truffle Dinner and Oregon Truffle MacDown (new in 2017), and full weekend immersions — complete with hunting for truffles in the wild — and learn about native truffles through a multitude of sensory experiences. The festival begins on the weekend of January 20-22 in Newberg and McMinnville, with decadent dinners and luncheons at award-winning wineries, featuring wine and truffle pairings, multiple events led by Arnold and McGee, and a sensory tour through the flavor notes of Oregon winter black and white truffles with James Beard Award-winning author Mark Bitterman.
The celebration in Eugene begins on January 26th with the 3rd annual Joriad™ North American Truffle Dog Championship, where spectators cheer for teams of truffle dogs and trainers as they race to search for hidden truffle-scented targets. Then from January 27-29, 2017, the Eugene portion of the festival brings the focus to the scientific and agricultural aspects of the developing Pacific Northwest truffle industry, both cultivated and wild. The Eugene events include the annual Truffle Growers Forum, drawing industry experts from around the world, along with two days of truffle dog training, winery luncheons, the iconic Grand Truffle Dinner and other culinary events. The Fresh Truffle Marketplace events in both Eugene (January 29) and Newberg (January 22) feature myriad local artisans, from distillers and brewers to cheese and charcuterie makers, who capture the essence of fresh Oregon truffles in their products for the enjoyment of festival attendees.
Chefs from along the West Coast will gather in the Willamette Valley to showcase flavor and versatility of Oregon’s culinary truffles. This year, participating chefs are: Aaron Patrick Adams of Farm Spirit (Portland), Elias Cairo of Olympia Provisions (Portland), Eric Caballero of the Barlow Room (Dayton), Chris Cosentino of Cockscomb and Boccalone (San Francisco), Christopher Czarnecki of The Joel Palmer House (Dayton), Greg and Gabi Denton of Ox and SuperBite (Portland), Renee Erickson of The Whale Wins, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Barnacle, Bar Melusine, Bateau, General Porpoise (Seattle), Jason Fritz of Thistle (McMinnville), Michelle Girard of the Hilton (Eugene), John Gorham of Toro Bravo, Tasty n Sons, Tasty n Alder, Pollo Bravo and Shalom Y’All (Portland), Jonathan Hoffman of Chef’s Table (Cannon Beach), Stephanie Pearl Kimmel (Marché, Marché Provisions (Eugene), Jesse Kincheloe of Valley Commissary (McMinnville), Jody Kropf of Red Hills Market (Dundee), Anh Luu of Tapalaya (Portland), Tiffany Norton and Mark Kosmicki of Party Downtown (Eugene), Carmen Peirano of Nick’s Italian Café (McMinnville), Sarah Schafer of Irving Street Kitchen (Portland), and Karl Zenk of Provisions Market Hall (Eugene). Additional chefs will be announced on the Oregon Truffle Festival’s website as they are confirmed.
The Oregon Truffle Festival is made possible with support from 1859 Magazine, Chehalem Cultural Center, Chehalem Chamber of Commerce, Hilton Eugene, Marché Restaurant Group, New World Truffieres, Travel Oregon, Travel Lane County, Visit McMinnville and Willamette Valley Visitors Association.
About The Oregon Truffle Festival
The Oregon Truffle Festival is North America’s premier event for truffle appreciation and education. Held every January in the Willamette Valley, it attracts thousands of culinary travelers, chefs, growers, dog trainers, scientists and journalists from all over the globe for a series of dynamic and participatory events. The festival was founded in 2006 by renowned mycologist Dr. Charles K. Lefevre and his wife, Leslie Scott. Dr. Lefevre is also the founder of New World Truffieres, a company specializing in truffle cultivation. Both organizations are run in partnership with Culinary Director Charles Ruff. Now in its 12th year, the Oregon Truffle Festival will be held in Newberg from January 20-22, and Eugene from January 26-29, 2017. The 3rd annual Joriad™ Truffle Dog Championship, where spectators cheer-on teams of truffle dogs and trainers as they race to search for hidden truffle-scented targets, will take place on January 26th. The Joriad™ is just one of many events throughout the festival that allow attendees a fascinating glimpse into the world of truffles and truffle hunting. Learn more at OregonTruffleFestival.com. Follow the Oregon Truffle Festival on Facebook, Instagram @orufflefest, and Twitter @ORTruffleFest for updates.
Source: The Oregon Truffle Festival
