Truffle Oil is a Fake...

E-mail conversation about Truffle Oil yesterday...

 

question:

> > okay guys, I need to ask the experts, D'Artagnan or Porthos...how true is this
> > article?
> >
> > Truffle  Article < http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2>
> >
> > Is Ds' oil a fake?  Are we paying for real truffle flavor but getting
> > jipped in the kitchen?
> > Does this mean I have never tasted real truffles?  Hmmm lots of questions
> > here.
> >
> > I do like the oil and probably would continue using it only because it
> > tastes really good.


answer:
> yes, it's laboratory made. thanks to modern day science... and capitalism.
> scientists are able to synthetically fabricate the same molecular taste
> profile that make  truffles truffles.
> therefore, the oils are a dead ringer of the real stuff.
> like any other product, there are ones that are good and those that are bad.
> take for instance Roland.  They make a pretty subpar product.  

(well, most of their products are subpar)
> hence the price point is amazingly competitive.
> then there's dartagnan's truffle oil. one of the better stuff out there.
> they use a very high concentrate extract to fuse with the olive oil or
> sunflower oil and you get an undeniable huge nose.
> so the answer is, yes.  this stuff is "fake".
> besides, if you were to put a ripe truffle into oil, you can run the risk of
> growing bacteria and killing who ever eats it. (scary) anaerobic bacteria love
> clinging to funghi, and especially in oil.  the conditions are optimal for
> bacteria. it's like their four seasons.  simply, it's not wise to infuse real truffles in oil.
>
> hope that helps.