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By PatR, April 10, 2010 10:29 am

Johannesburg Slow Food Convivium expedition

Kalahari Truffle hunting:
30 April – 02 May 2010 (inclusive)

Johannesburg Slow Food will shortly be embarking on a truffle hunting expedition in the Northern Cape. The Kalahari Truffle (formerly Terfezia pfeilii, now known as Kalaharituber pfeilii), or !naba by the San, is a naturally occurring desert truffle and cannot be sown or cultivated. Truffles appear erratically, about once every four or more years, between April and May, depending on the rains. The truffle season is brief, lasting only until the first frost. This year, there have been good rains in the Kalahari, and the !naba harvest seems promising. This outing will be quite an adventure as the !nabas grow beneath the ground, hidden by sand and long grass, and only betray their presence by a small crack in the ground…

The group will stay at a farm near Upington, where we’ll spend the weekend learning about, and foraging for truffles. With any luck, using the truffles we find, we’ll cook up some delicious truffle-infused dishes.

We can accommodate 15 people on the trip, on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to Slow Food members, and non-members will be put on a waiting list.

Itinerary
Friday 30 April:
Travel from Johannesburg to the farm, near Upington,a distance of approximately 650km on the N14. The last 9km to the farm are on a gravel road. A 4×4 vehicle isn’t a requirement, but a sturdy car with reasonable ground clearance is advised. Depending on the condition of the road, the drive should take about 8 hours.

Saturday 01 May:
Prepare to do some digging (it’s Workers Day, after all) as we hunt for truffles in the desert. There will be guides to show us where to forage. The Kalahari is vast if you don’t know where to look …

Sunday 02 May:
Breakfast, then depart for Johannesburg.

Accommodation
Very basic, shared accommodation is available in the farmhouse.
Please be prepared to share as accommodation is configured for families or groups. Depending on the size of the group, there is overflow accommodation on a neighbouring farm.
There is also place for a limited number of campers.

Costs
For 2 night’s accommodation, including all meals, but excluding all drinks, the cost will be:
R350.00 per person per night for Slow Food members
R450.00 per person per night for non-members
Cost to camp: to be advised.

You will need to bring your own bottled water, soft drinks, and alcohol.

Meals will consist of traditional, regional dishes. Our host has offered to slaughter a sheep and he will demonstrate how they use every part of the animal. Adventurous eaters can try some traditional Suurkos or Haksel – sheep’s pluck, cooked and minced.

Buying truffles – own account
Depending on availability, there may be truffles for sale. The farm owner will sell us truffles at R100.00 p/kg (usually retail at R150.00 p/kg).  Truffles have an extremely limited shelf life, so buying huge quantities isn’t recommended.

Travel arrangements
Everyone needs to make their own travel arrangements, whether you plan to drive, or fly to Upington Airport and hire a car. We’ll provide a map and GPS coordinates closer to the time. Once we have an indication of final numbers, we can discuss whether people are interested in carpooling.

Confirmation and payment
Send Nanette Nel an e-mail with the number of people you want to book for and their names, before the 12th of April.

Thereafter, you’ll receive an e-mail confirming your booking, and requesting payment before the 20th of April. Payments not received by that date will result in you forfeiting your place on the trip.

Truffles are extremely seasonal, and we’ve been waiting for go-ahead from the farmer – hence the short notice for this outing. If you can’t make it this time, it’s almost certain there’ll be another truffle expedition next year.

Tim Truluck
Convivium Leader, Slow Food Joburg
Website: http://slowfoodjoburg.blogspot.com
Facebook Group: http://xrl.us/facebookjoburg