Truffles

[bitchstewie]

I know nothing about truffles but this popped up and was an interesting (slightly random!) read.

The truffle industry is a big scam. Not just truffle oil, everything

[UTH]

Blimey, interesting indeed. And makes me think I must have been conned a few times, especially with 'truffle chips' in a few top end restaurants.

[Lotobear]

This is a truly awful scandal, everyone should have access to real truffles and truffle oil as a basic human right.

HMG should immediately set up an enquiry.

[number2]

Interesting read, thanks for sharing.

Googled "buy truffles uk" and a supermarket came up: https://www.ocado.com/products/truffle-hunter-whol...

Ingredients include truffle flavour...

Disingenuous more than dishonest - flavourless st truffles... with added flavour.

[number2]

This could be legit but dried...
https://www.ocado.com/products/bernardini-sliced-s...

https://www.tasteatlas.com/black-summer-truffle

[number2]

I'm clearly bored and mildly obsessed with truffles now .

https://www.finefoodspecialist.co.uk/perigord-blac...

[otolith]

If people like the flavour of synthetic truffle - like they like the flavour of synthetic vanilla - does it matter?

[Mobile Chicane]

I can't stand the taste / smell of truffle oil. It's nothing like the real thing. White truffle grated onto pasta is a real treat.

[Riley Blue]

Mobile Chicane said:

I can't stand the taste / smell of truffle oil. It's nothing like the real thing. White truffle grated onto pasta is a real treat.

Oh great - I was given three bottles of it for Christmas, might as well pour it away...

[Mobile Chicane]

Riley Blue said:

Mobile Chicane said:

I can't stand the taste / smell of truffle oil. It's nothing like the real thing. White truffle grated onto pasta is a real treat.

Oh great - I was given three bottles of it for Christmas, might as well pour it away...

If you like the taste, you like the taste. Many do.

[number2]

otolith said:

If people like the flavour of synthetic truffle - like they like the flavour of synthetic vanilla - does it matter?

It's disingenuous at best, and a con at worst - paying for something you're not getting.

[theplayingmantis]

hate 'truffle' favored stuff full stop, no idea if real or fake, but the smell, taste etc of sampling partners/friends dishes in the past always makes me retch...oh lets get truffle fries to share, nope. The flavour to me is somewhat unwholesome...

interesting read, i knew from mr steins tv show that some unscrupulous chefs forage some tasteless common fungi, peel the white outer off after which i looks remarkably like a true truffle, then slice and steep the slices in 'truffle' oil.

[otolith]

number2 said:

otolith said:

If people like the flavour of synthetic truffle - like they like the flavour of synthetic vanilla - does it matter?

It's disingenuous at best, and a con at worst - paying for something you're not getting.

It's not got the snob appeal of being the real thing, and it's a con if they are paying for the real thing - but given that "truffle flavoured oil" is relatively cheap, if they like it, what's the harm? I don't like synthetic strawberry flavour, but lots of people do. I tend to buy vanilla pods, but lots of people are happy with "flavouring".

[number2]

otolith said:

number2 said:

otolith said:

If people like the flavour of synthetic truffle - like they like the flavour of synthetic vanilla - does it matter?

It's disingenuous at best, and a con at worst - paying for something you're not getting.

It's not got the snob appeal of being the real thing, and it's a con if they are paying for the real thing - but given that "truffle flavoured oil" is relatively cheap, if they like it, what's the harm? I don't like synthetic strawberry flavour, but lots of people do. I tend to buy vanilla pods, but lots of people are happy with "flavouring".

If someone knows its artificial and is paying for artificial then there's no issue!

[Snow and Rocks]

I like the taste of both real and artificial "truffle".

Just like I also enjoy both lovely artisan cheeses sourced from a respected cheesemonger and cheesy watsits.

If the menu specifies a type of cheese that's what I expect but if something is cheese flavoured or generically cheesy then I really don't care, as long as it's tasty. The same applies to truffle.

[bolidemichael]

According to the article, black winter truffles are available from Périgord region and from a region in Italy.

They are also available from Aups in Provence, where they can be purchased from the truffle market and it's quite the experience for a Londoner. In order to demonstrate the quality of the truffle, the seller will carve a little chip out of the gung-ho, in order to demonstrate the 'marbling' to the customer. iirc the cost direct from the forager was c. €50/100g.





TBH I didn't have a clue what I was doing and we would've probably ended up with heartburn, due to the overkill on cream, had we not had plenty of bicarbonate rich mineral water to hand! Tasted very indulgent, however.

[RDMcG]

Essential to have a proper truffle slicer and adjust to a fine cut . I buy a few each season

[Silvanus]

That was an interesting read!

I'm not the biggest fan of truffle oil (aware it is just a flavoring), but not adverse to a dish either it on, much prefer my homemade dried porcini oil.

I've been lucky enough to try a few different types of truffle, but not to really expensive ones.

Not everyone may realise but truffles grow here in the UK. Very few people forage for them anymore as much of the suitable forest has become fragmented. I've been lucky enough to find both uk species, very satisfying tasty finds too. I'm going to train my next dog to help me find them.

[otolith]

Silvanus said:

I'm going to train my next dog to help me find them.

My dog was an expert at finding truffles. Two problems - firstly, he ate them like a fine delicacy, and secondly he specialised only in the sort of truffles to be found in the cat’s litter tray.

“Oh god he’s got litter on his nose, get away from me you filthy bd!”

[tog]

That is an American article. While the gist is true, the bit which says "Restaurants advertising fine dining and truffles mostly offer artificially flavored dishes and fraud, in which cheap truffles are merely a decoration" I don't think applies to proper establishments over here. I know very well the chap who supplies almost all the top restaurants in this country (I was photographing his truffles this week) and know the lengths he goes to to get fresh truffles from around the world into their kitchens within a couple of days of the truffle coming out of the ground. Also, the article says you can't get winter truffles in the summer, so he clearly isn't aware of the Australian or Chilean truffle industries.