The claim: all truffle oil is fake

[Fat Guy]

There's a story in today's New York Times dining section that seems to claim that all truffle oil is fake.

Most commercial truffle oils are concocted by mixing olive oil with one or more compounds like 2,4-dithiapentane (the most prominent of the hundreds of aromatic molecules that make the flavor of white truffles so exciting) that have been created in a laboratory; their one-dimensional flavor is also changing common understanding of how a truffle should taste.

But, much as I did for years, chefs want to believe. Stories of sightings of natural truffle oil abound, like a gourmand’s answer to the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

Does anybody know if this claim is true. I'm certainly willing to believe that a lot of truffle oil is fake, but is there really no such thing as real white-truffle-infused olive oil?

For example, over the years I've tried several of the truffle products from TartufLanghe sold by the Rare Wine Company. You can see the truffle offerings on page 3 of the October newsletter. I guess it's always possible to be fooled, but I've tasted plenty of real white truffles and these products from TartufLanghe taste real to me. Maybe I'm wrong. The New York Times seems to think so, though there's just enough equivocation and hedging in the story to avoid the full-on claim.

[Anna N]

I have a bottle of truffle oil in the 'fridge which was a gift some months ago. The ingredients are ambiguous (in 3 languages!): Extra virgin olive oil with black truffle flavour 1%. The brand is Mussini and it's a product of Italy.

I have never tasted the real McCoy but I can tell you that to my tastebuds and to my nose, this stuff is disgusting.

[Mallet]

Certainly not conclusive but Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton, in Preserved have this to say about truffles:

If you ever find yourself in possession of a fresh white "Alba" truffle, we'd frankly advise you to use it immediately

[...]

You can also flavor oil with white truffle. Unfortunately, the taste will deteriorate after a few days whatever you do. Such is the way of the elusive truffle...

So it would seem the real stuff is incredibly unstable.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Mallet (log)

[Busboy]

There was a discussion about this awhile back (that I can't seem to find) and I spent a good deal of time Googling around (and even left a message on the Dean & DeLuca customer service hot line) but could find no good answer either way. The most persuasive argument in favor of real truffles being used is the vastly superior flavor of some oils compared to others -- what I always a assumed was natural rather than artificial flavoring. Rather than find out something I don't really want to know, I've adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" policy on this matter.

(BTW, anyone in possession of high quality truffle oil and the French Laundry Cookbook should consider celebrating Spring by making his pea soup with truffle oil. Unbelievably good. And if truffle oil is good enough for TK....)

[Fat Guy]

I've also got to wonder about the claim that truffles are so hard to preserve. For example, the Times piece states, "The flavor of real truffles, especially black, is evanescent, difficult to capture in an oil under the best of circumstances." Maybe, however I've had plenty of examples of black truffles that were preserved in fat (particularly duck fat and butter) that were excellent.

I'm also wondering about all the other preserved truffle products that are not strictly "truffle oil," for example various truffle pastes and butters. Some of these taste quite good to me.

[wkl]

fwiw, i bought the tartuflanghe white truffle oil and paste at the salon de gusto event in turin last october.

i seriously doubt salon de gusto would have fake products at this event. this is a seriously high quality event sponsored by the slow food people.

i spoke at length with the tartuflanghe people and have no doubt their products are the real deal. the oil and paste i purchased were excellent.

[Maureen B. Fant]

I'm sure it's largely true, but I'd have found the Times article more convincing if the author had found at least one reliable source and explained what it takes (or would take) to make the real stuff. His hedging use of "most" implies that somewhere somebody is using real truffles. Another little thing in the article (which I read quickly): white truffles from elsewhere turn up at the Alba truffle market. This is department of shocked, shocked. In fact (so it was explained to me in Alba) tartufo d'Alba is the name of a type of tuber, not a geographic restriction, and they grow, largely uncredited, in many parts of Italy. Just as marble from around the world is distributed from Carrara, truffles from lots of places are sold at the Alba market.

Not that that has to do with the oil. I went to the Volpetti shop this morning and saw a bowl of little bottles of (black) truffle oil atop the fancy cheese display. I asked Claudio Volpetti so what about all this laboratory oil. After a certain amount of verbal acrobatics and tasting of oil and oil mixed with balsamico, I asked him again, so is any of it real? Yes, he said. Some of it is. This stuff is real. How can you tell? I can't, he said, but I know the people who make it, and I trust them. It comes down to relationships. This stuff comes from Valnerina, near our home. Inconclusive, of course, but I'm just passing it along. I wish I could remember what the label said, but from there I went to Checchino for lunch and am lucky I can remember my name.

[Chris Amirault]

There was a previous discussion of this in the general truffle oil topic here.

My little bottle makes things taste good, but, well, I can't vouch.

[Fat Guy]

There's a follow up to the Times story in a blog entry by Frank Bruni (NYT dining critic) today. He writes, again using less than absolute language:

I’m glad to see Mr. Patterson cast attention on how phony a product it usually is, because that’s an affirmation of what a phony, too-emphatic flavor it can have, especially when used in excess.

The more I consider the story, the more it reads to me like lazy reporting -- the kind that raises questions without really answering them, and that relies on implication rather than fact. Is there such a thing as real truffle oil (white? black?) and if so how can we get it? What about other preserved truffle products? Are they legit? These are the questions the good version of this article would have answered.

[Marlene]

I am allergic to mushrooms, and there's only been once in my life that I reacted to truffle oil. Other times, when it's been used, no reaction which leads me to believe that most times it is fake. Just my two cents.

[JohnL]

There's a follow up to the Times story in a blog entry by Frank Bruni (NYT dining critic) today. He writes, again using less than absolute language:

I’m glad to see Mr. Patterson cast attention on how phony a product it usually is, because that’s an affirmation of what a phony, too-emphatic flavor it can have, especially when used in excess.

The more I consider the story, the more it reads to me like lazy reporting -- the kind that raises questions without really answering them, and that relies on implication rather than fact. Is there such a thing as real truffle oil (white? black?) and if so how can we get it? What about other preserved truffle products? Are they legit? These are the questions the good version of this article would have answered.

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and lazy editing.

doesn't anyone read these things with a critical eye before they are published?

[docsconz]

The implication that I've read in this thread and find very interesting is that truffle oil tastes to good (or at least some of it) to be "fake". Why should that be the case? What Patterson was claiming is that the flavoring in truffle oil is a specific synthetic version of the chemical found in real truffles.mOne of the principle differences is that of stability. Frankly, I like the flavor of truffle oil when used in moderation and don't really care if it is real or fake so long as I'm not being hoodwinked and paying a premium for "real" when its not. Ther article makes sense to me even if it is not entirely definitive.

[logicalmind]

It sounds like the real scam is companies selling fake truffle oil for $20 per mini bottle. If I have fake truffle oil I don't mind so much. I like what it adds to my dishes. But if it is fake, it should be cheaper.

[Shalmanese]

The unspoken assumption is that just because it's "fake", it's therefore unsuited to any kitchen possessing a hint of class and we should all unanimously boycott them from our kitchen. Thrown along in there was a snide little dig at artificial vanilla as well. I say bullshit, the natural/artificial boundary is a totally artifical one and people should be judging food based on how it tastes, not it's providence. If chefs thought food flavoured with truffle oil tasted fine before, why would they object now?

To me, the main difference between natural and artificial flavours is that the artificial ones display less complex flavour notes. That's fine sometimes, white sugar and salt display less flavour notes than honey and soy sauce but nobody is trying to say they have no place in the kitchen. And for us poor bastards who can't afford shavings of real white truffles, sometimes truffle oil is the best we can do. That's not to mention the fact that white truffles are perishable and sold whole so unless you can eat an entire truffle in a week, you're pretty much boned.

[BryanZ]

The implication that I've read in this thread and find very interesting is that truffle oil tastes to good (or at least some of it) to be "fake". Why should that be the case? What Patterson was claiming is that the flavoring in truffle oil is a specific synthetic version of the chemical found in real truffles.mOne of the principle differences is that of stability. Frankly, I like the flavor of truffle oil when used in moderation and don't really care if it is real or fake so long as I'm not being hoodwinked and paying a premium for "real" when its not. Ther article makes sense to me even if it is not entirely definitive.

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The unspoken assumption is that just because it's "fake", it's therefore unsuited to any kitchen possessing a hint of class and we should all unanimously boycott them from our kitchen. Thrown along in there was a snide little dig at artificial vanilla as well. I say bullshit, the natural/artificial boundary is a totally artifical one and people should be judging food based on how it tastes, not it's providence. If chefs thought food flavoured with truffle oil tasted fine before, why would they object now?

To me, the main difference between natural and artificial flavours is that the artificial ones display less complex flavour notes. That's fine sometimes, white sugar and salt display less flavour notes than honey and soy sauce but nobody is trying to say they have no place in the kitchen. And for us poor bastards who can't afford shavings of real white truffles, sometimes truffle oil is the best we can do. That's not to mention the fact that white truffles are perishable and sold whole so unless you can eat an entire truffle in a week, you're pretty much boned.

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Thank you guys for saying this. I read this article a couple days ago and found myself pissed off by the whole thing. Frankly, I was hoping someone on eG would post it for discussion. The "unspoken assumption" is hardly unspoken in the context of this article. According to the author, chefs who take great pride in sourcing out the best produce and meats should be aghast to learn that the truffle oil they use in their dishes is derived from chemicals. As Shal so rightly says, that's total bullshit. In the right context, truffle oil has its place, and notable chefs like Chef Shea at Cru realize this. It's when people start drizzling truffle oil over all kinds of pizzas and pastas that it becomes undesirable. Not because it's fake but because it simply tastes bad.

I honestly feel that one of the biggest problems with the natural, organic, etc food movement is that it lends itself to reductionist thinking, the kind that is espoused in this article. Just because something is "fake" means it automatically has no culinary value.

[coquus]

I notice the labels to be very confusing on the matter, as here in the US I doubt I have seen any real truffle oil, I notice some bottles deliberately attempt to mislead us with "made with white truffles" right in there in the ingredients list, right before the white truffle aroma. And what's with white truffle oil and black truffle oil, do they actually differ in flavor, or just price? I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to eat synthetic food, and if it were just a matter of taste people wouldn't be dying from mad cow disease.

[docsconz]

I notice the labels to be very confusing on the matter, as here in the US I doubt I have seen any real truffle oil, I notice some bottles deliberately attempt to mislead us with "made with white truffles" right in there in the ingredients list, right before the white truffle aroma.  And what's with white truffle oil and black truffle oil, do they actually differ in flavor, or just price?  I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to eat synthetic food, and if it were just a matter of taste people wouldn't be dying from mad cow disease.

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I agree that there is nothing wrong with people not wanting to eat synthetic food and truffle oil should be labeled appropriately and accurately, however, mad cow disease has nothing to do with food being "synthetic." The food supply may have been manipulated by feeding cattle food that they do not normally eat (e.g. other cattle), but that still isn't synthetic. This of course, is not to downplay issues around BSE, but just to be accurate.

[coquus]

You miss my point, I was just replying to the notion that all that matters is taste, maybe on this website we sometimes forget that food has a purpose as well. When we eat, we should always consider what our food does to us.

[BryanZ]

Just because something is manufactured doesn't mean it's harmful.

[coquus]

Just because something is manufactured doesn't mean it's harmful.

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Ask again later.

[melkor]

My gripe with truffle oil is that it's a crutch - truffles taste better because they're seasonal. No mealy white-cored winter tomato will stand in for a freshly picked august tomato, the same is true for truffle oil in place of real truffles. Looking forward to the first tomato, strawberry, peach, asparagus, white truffles, black truffles, or whatever of the year is a pleasure - eating the same flavors year round is boring and frankly it isn't as delicious. Truffle oil, real or fake, is no less nasty to me than winter strawberries.

[BryanZ]

Just because something is manufactured doesn't mean it's harmful.

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Ask again later.

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I'm afraid this doesn't make sense.

Back on topic, the article itself makes no claims to adverse health results from eating "fake" truffles. The author's disdain for the product is based solely on the fact that "fakeness" betrays the goodness of natural, unprocessed ingredients. I do not believe this to be true and find that people who hold this view take rather narrow view regarding food.

[Busboy]

My gripe with truffle oil is that it's a crutch - truffles taste better because they're seasonal.  No mealy white-cored winter tomato will stand in for a freshly picked august tomato, the same is true for truffle oil in place of real truffles.  Looking forward to the first tomato, strawberry, peach, asparagus, white truffles, black truffles, or whatever of the year is a pleasure - eating the same flavors year round is boring and frankly it isn't as delicious.  Truffle oil, real or fake, is no less nasty to me than winter strawberries.

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On the other hand, tomato sauce and strawberry preserves taste pretty good all year 'round without diminishing the joy of the first fresh arrivals of the real stuff at the local markets. Same with truffle oil, I'd suggest.

[melkor]

My gripe with truffle oil is that it's a crutch - truffles taste better because they're seasonal.  No mealy white-cored winter tomato will stand in for a freshly picked august tomato, the same is true for truffle oil in place of real truffles.  Looking forward to the first tomato, strawberry, peach, asparagus, white truffles, black truffles, or whatever of the year is a pleasure - eating the same flavors year round is boring and frankly it isn't as delicious.  Truffle oil, real or fake, is no less nasty to me than winter strawberries.

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On the other hand, tomato sauce and strawberry preserves taste pretty good all year 'round without diminishing the joy of the first fresh arrivals of the real stuff at the local markets. Same with truffle oil, I'd suggest.

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If you're eating whole truffles out of hand like an apple, sure. Most of the time people use truffle oil in place of the real thing rather than as you suggest in a completely different preparation.

[JohnL]

Truffle oils to me are what they are. They provide a flavor (really more an aroma) that approximates or evokes that of real truffles.

I never thought that truffle oils provided the same gustatory experience as actual truffles.

Truffle oil whether derived from real truffles or a chemical compound (and really what gives real truffles their characteristic flavor and aroma are --chemical compounds)

is to me a sort of condiment.

Real truffles are mostly used to transfer their flavors and aromas to other food substances as well.

As for real truffles. Even when in season I have often been disappointed in what is available here. I prefer to experience them in restaurants where the quality seems to be better than that available at specialty markets.

The oils? A few drops in a risotto or a chilled pea soup are fine with me regardless of the oils provenance. (I do try to buy oils that offer flavor that is not overtly harsh or ersatz).