Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Feeling Swindled – Warning to truffle oil fans
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
October 23, 2008 at 12:41 am #588457
cjboffoliParticipantI’ve been steadily buying little bottles of truffle oil from Metropolitan Market because I love dousing popcorn, potatoes and even eggs with it. Real truffles are exceedingly rare, expensive and tough to get in places that are far from where they are foraged for. So I thought the small bottles of olive oil, apparently flavored with a tiny slice of pungent black truffle, were an accessible alternative.
But today I learned that it is all a fraud. There is no such thing as real truffle oil. The stuff they sell in the stores (and charge extra for at restaurants) is made in the same factories where they make perfume. If you look closely at the over-priced little bottles of flavored olive oil all you are getting is the petrochemical derived aroma of simulated truffle.
I don’t mind that they’ve come up with a way to simulate what is a rare culinary treat. But it is more than disingenuous to charge outrageous sums for something that is chemically derived and not in the least bit rare.
Truffle oil lovers beware!
October 23, 2008 at 12:55 am #644513
austinMemberInteresting! That explains the “truffle flavor” listed as an ingredient after black summer truffle in the Truffle & Salt I have here. Here’s an ok article on it- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html
Kind of a bummer it’s so taxed. Still tasty tho.
October 23, 2008 at 4:58 am #644514
JanSParticipantguess it’s a good thing that I haven’t cultivated that much of a cultured taste – lol – at least as far as piggy sought truffles are concerned. Now, give me some of those chocolate truffles, and we can talk ;-)
October 23, 2008 at 4:58 am #644515
KenParticipantMost processed foods are flavored with chemical recreations of natural flavors. Some are entirely created in the lab. 90% are made in NJ.
October 23, 2008 at 5:02 am #644516
JanSParticipantlol..New Jersey(aka”the armpit of the nation”). I mean no offense to anyone, but a joke when I lived back there was that you could take it out to the middle of the Atlantic and sink it, and no one would miss it ;-)
It was a joke….sorta…hehehe (sorry, JT)
October 23, 2008 at 5:05 am #644517
Bikefor1MemberDon’t give up yet. Take a trip down to
La Buona Tavola Truffle Cafe
1524 Pike Place
Seattle, Washington 98101
206-292-5555
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030815&slug=deal15
I get the sense they sell real truffle oil. In any case you can talk to the owner, she seems really nice and knowledgeable.
October 23, 2008 at 5:15 am #644518
cjboffoliParticipantBikefor1: Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to check it out.
Ken: I’m not opposed to natural and artificial flavorings, per se. but I’m opposed to artificial flavorings that are marketed as natural products with artificially inflated prices.
JanS: I’m a pretty adventurous eater but I found the flavor of truffles abhorrent the first time I had them. But it was truffle oil on popcorn that completely turned it around for me. I can’t think of any other food experience where I’ve had such a dramatic change of heart (Oh and don’t get your hopes up black licorice. I’m never…never with a capitol ‘N’….Never going to like you!).
October 23, 2008 at 5:19 am #644519
inactiveMemberOctober 23, 2008 at 6:08 am #644520
JeraldParticipantLa Buona Tavola in the Market! It’s fantastic and I just ADORE their white truffle oil and cream. They always have samples out. And their celeriac soup (with truffle oil) is amazing.
I’m trying the oil on popcorn tomorrow, never thought of it. I don’t like black truffle flavor as much, though.
October 23, 2008 at 10:10 am #644521
JanSParticipantceleriac…has anyone seen any around lately? It’s not exactly a popular item in grocery stores around here…
October 23, 2008 at 2:56 pm #644522
cjboffoliParticipantwestseattledood: I find black licorice repulsive in every way. I have some Dutch friends who LOVE all of the salty licorice they have over there. But I can’t even stand the smell of it. Nasty.
October 23, 2008 at 11:03 pm #644523
Bikefor1MemberTruffle oil is supposed to be great in homemade mac n cheese!
October 24, 2008 at 1:14 am #644524
mellaw6565MemberCJ – real truffle oil would be beyond the average person’s budget I bet.
October 24, 2008 at 6:53 am #644525
JeraldParticipantThe real truffle oil is expensive, but not like caviar-expensive. I think I paid about $16 for a tiny bottle, but it doesn’t take much for flavor and seems to last a long time in the fridge. Incidentally, I bought some “white truffle olive oil” from Trader Joe’s, but it didn’t seem to have any flavor at all. Not the real thing, I guess.
I remember La Buona Tavola having an alternate soup when celeriac’s not in season — but I don’t know when it is or isn’t.
October 24, 2008 at 7:03 am #644526
cjboffoliParticipantJerald: None of it is the real thing. That’s the point. That tiny $16 bottle is inexpensive oil represented as having something to do with real truffles. But it is all a sham.
October 24, 2008 at 3:31 pm #644527
JenVMemberhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
so….next you’re going to tell me baby oil is not actually made from babies? :-0
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.