Foods of the World Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Food Groups > Fruits, Nuts, Fungi and Vegetables
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Truffle Trends
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!

Truffle Trends

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Truffle Trends
    Posted: 23 May 2012 at 11:32

picking up from a discussion on addtotaste's truffle salt risotto post, here are some interesting comments that came up:

 
Originally posted by ChrisBelgium ChrisBelgium wrote:

One of the weirdest experiments I saw, when one of our Belgian ex-El Bulli chefs revisited Ferran Adriá before closing his restaurant, is that Adriá had put an insane amount of caviar in a wooden box, together with black truffles. Seems the caviar had taken all the truffle flavour. How deliciously decadent does that sound?
 
Originally posted by HistoricFoodie HistoricFoodie wrote:

Actually, to me it sounds like another entry in the modern trend among high-end chefs to use truffles on everything, just because they can. I've never understood this fascination with shaving truffles on, or blending them into, other posh foods. I mean, realistically, is there any culinary point to it.
 
The fact is, the flavor profile of truffles has such reach that it should be used, IMO, in small amounts. Just enough to provide a hint of their earthy goodness.
 
Your example is typical, Chris. We take one posh food, both expensive and in demand among epicures (although in this case, don't include me---I don't care for salted fish eggs), and add another posh food whose flavor and aromoa is so overpowering that it changes the taste of the first one.
 
Another example is pate de fois gras with truffles. Can anyone tell me what makes that so special? It's another case where posh foods are combined for no other reason than the chef can afford to do so---or has an audience that can afford the price of such a dish, and whose taste buds are based more on fashion than on flavor.
 
Originally posted by ChrisBelgium ChrisBelgium wrote:

I do believe that an occasional modest tasting of real truffle is a must for foodies. The emphasis is on "real".  I also tasted all kinds of black and white truffle oils and I can say that truffle oil is simply junk. In most cases (I was planning to write 99,99% of the cases) it's made with artificial flavouring. It's like smelling a much too strong perfume that overtakes all other aromas in the worst possible way. Those oils makes many people think that real truffle isn't even worth considering using it. However, a simple open omelette with truffle shavings is so incredible. Poultry, like a good chicken served with a sauce with real truffle in it, how minimal or maximal the addition of truffle may be, is delicious and never overpowering. Use truffle oil instead and you have a totally different tale!
I need to add that the experiment I mentioned by Ferran Adriá is typically El Bulli. Maybe we can agree that this is nothing more than fooling around with food, just like Adriá used to do. They started to call his weird experiments molecular gastronomy to give it a more acceptable aspect. But look what's happening to molecular gastronomy; it's as good as dead.
 
any thoughts or comments?
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
ChrisFlanders View Drop Down
Chef's Apprentice
Chef's Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: 01 March 2012
Location: Flanders
Status: Offline
Points: 343
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ChrisFlanders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2012 at 05:27
I'm very intrigued by the truffle salt Hila (Addtotaste) used in her lovely risotto. It contains a little truffle, real truffle that is.  As expected, the truffle used in the salt is (black) summertruffle. Not the most fragrant one in the truffle family as compared to the black winter truffle and the very expensive white truffle, but still, the aroma should be there. Even the slightest amount of truffle should give a far better result than those junky truffle oils with their artifical aromas.
Is there anyone having used both oils and a similar salt containing genuine truffle?
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2012 at 06:20
Haven't used the salt, Chris. In fact, I'd never heard of it until Hila's post.
 
As to the oils, I take slight exception. You're right: many of them are based on artificial flavoring. You just have to read the labels. And expect to pay dearly for the true gelt.
 
The brand I use consists of white truffles (most likely broken ones and pieces, not that that matters) infused in cold-pressed safflower oil. That's all! But it costs about four times as much as some of those others.
 
Price is not always an indicator of quality. But in this case it works out that way.
 
 
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 August 2013 at 14:53

All I know is that on all of the "cooking competition shows," a contestant using truffle oil - in every case - has written and signed his/her own death warrant. I claim no expertise on the matter, but that has been my observation.

 
I agree that the truffle salt looks to be another matter entirely - an interesting product for sure - but until i am actually able toxperience a couple of examples of good (and bad) truffle oils, I unfortunately can't comment any further from what I've observed.
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.109 seconds.