How do truffles taste?

[AzRaeL]

What exactly does Truffles (the black variety) taste like?

I've had the occassional so called "truffle" flavored dish but I have yet to have eaten a dish with visible flecks of the black fungi.

I wish i could afford a piece and try it out myself but before I plunk good money down, I'd like to know what about it that sets the culinary world on its ear and causes people to pay good money.

Is it really that good? Or is it just marketing Hype.

I was reading an Alain Ducasse recipe book and he seems to be unable to cook a dish without truffles.

[tommy]

certainly not marketing hype. it's very unique. very earthy, and sweet.

buy a cheap bottle of truffle oil. the smell, while certainly not that of real freshly sliced truffles, will certainly give you an indication.

i've had some truffles that have tasted of dish water. not sure if that was just a bad day, and it certainly wasn't what i've come to expect from truffles.

Edited November 23, 2003 by tommy (log)

[fifi]

We had a "true confessions" type of thread running several months ago. One of my confessions was that I REALLY don't like truffles. And I have tried. I have had them in eggs, plain slices with scallops, in sauces, black ones, white ones and several very expensive brands of truffle oil. The taste says one thing to me... acetonitrile. Acetonitrile is a rather dangerous solvent used for extractive distillation in some chemical processes. It doesn't really smell bad so much as it doesn't smell like something I want to eat.

I will be in Provence in a couple of weeks and I may try again. Enough people think they are one of the best foods on the planet so I wonder what is wrong with me.

[=Mark]

I'll have to side with fifi, while agreeing with those enamored to enjoy the flavor referred to as "earthy." To me they taste like dirt.

[PopsicleToze]

I don't like them either. Someone actually insulted my taste over the things, which didn't change my opinions of truffles in the least.

I don't know how to describe them, but 'dirt' as stated earlier is fair.

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Edited for bad typing

Edited November 23, 2003 by NolaFoodie (log)

[EdS]

Truffles are overrated. If they sold for $1.29 a jar, I don't think a whole lot more of them would be sold. I've had them many times and just don't find the taste satisfactory to me, mystique or not.

[tommy]

i'm no bettin' man, but i'm putting 10 on this getting into some sort of anti-snobbery discussion.

i'll start by suggesting that for me, and i'm guessing for many, it doesn't matter how much they cost. it's an insult of sorts to suggest otherwise.

[=Mark]

Does that mean you like them or not?

[tommy]

Does that mean you like them or not?

i like anything that is expensive, as i'm shallow, mindless, and want to fit in with the rich folk.

[fifi]

Actually, I have found that when I have had restaurant dishes they really weren't all that expensive. That seems to be particularly true in Europe. The most lavish use of them that I have had was the slices with scallops. That was a starter in a dinner menu at a French restaurant in The Hague that was four courses for about 35 Euros (without wine). In New Orleans, if I remember right, the truffled eggs were part of a brunch for about $25, not outrageous for that huge brunch. Granted, those two examples weren't in 3 star establishments but they were very nice restaurants indeed.

AzReaL... I think you will find some opportunities to try truffles that won't break the bank if you look around. You really should try them, regardless of what some of us say here. It is a very distinctive flavor that you just might love.

[prasantrin]

I'll have to side with fifi, while agreeing with those enamored to enjoy the flavor referred to as "earthy." To me they taste like dirt.

Me, too! I used to be embarrassed to admit I didn't like truffles, but I'm coming out of the closet. I wonder if I should also admit I don't even like chocolate that much...Nah, that's too much disclosure for one day .

[Malawry]

Nope, sorry. I love truffles and I don't care what they cost. The black ones and the white ones both, although they are quite different.

There is an earthy component to them but they don't taste like dirt to me, in the same sense that a beet does. My enjoyment of both types of truffle is more related to the aroma they impart to a dish than their flavor though. Nothing beats that scent.

[Suzanne F]

When I worked at a manufacturer that made hors d'oeuvres, one of our best selling items was a "Truffled MushroomRisotto" in phyllo. It deserved to be; it was fabulous! Mixed wild mushrooms, heavy cream, butter, rice, etc., with black truffle oil mixed in after the filling was cold. I could not get my staff to do that final mix to save my life! "Eeew," they said, " it smells like farts." "Well," said I, "some people find that smell very sexy." "Yuck," said they. "Mmmm," said I.

I actually don't think truffles have much flavor whatsoever. But the aroma: pure pheromones! Pant, pant.

[foodie52]

Dirt

[Sweet Willie]

I wish i could afford a piece and try it out myself but before I plunk good money down,

I wish I had not put good $ down on a New Year's Eve dinner at Trotters.

The whole dinner consisted of truffles in some way. Unfortunately I found out that I'm not a fan.

[Verjuice]

They're gutsy and I love 'em. When I breathe in the aroma, I feel like I'm falling into it. It's like a cloud of warmth; silky, meaty earthy- if angels could poop, this is what it'd taste like (sorry). Truffles definitely taste of the color brown, though- mulch, chocolate, mushrooms, shit. Utterly compelling. The more I eat them, the more I crave them.

I prefer white truffles, though. Ohhh.

[robyn]

What exactly does Truffles (the black variety) taste like?

I've had the occassional so called "truffle" flavored dish but I have yet to have eaten a dish with visible flecks of the black fungi.

I wish i could afford a piece and try it out myself but before I plunk good money down, I'd like to know what about it that sets the culinary world on its ear and causes people to pay good money.

Is it really that good? Or is it just marketing Hype.

I was reading an Alain Ducasse recipe book and he seems to be unable to cook a dish without truffles.

I won't get into the "I like" or "don't like" truffles debate. I will tell you that they're a food item - like stone crabs - which doesn't travel well distance or time-wise. So unless you're someplace where they come from - don't even bother to try them. Robyn

[tommy]

  So unless you're someplace where they come from - don't even bother to try them.  Robyn

i think a few chefs in the US would disagree with you.

Edited November 24, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Chef Lewis]

Truffles taste like wild mushrooms but only better-- the key is buying a good quality of truffles which can be expensive. If you don't like truffles try buying truffle oil. The aroma is better than olive oil and this to can be expensive. I had a chef instructor that went to Italy and he brought back truffle oil and black truffles and they were simply delicious.

[robyn]

<<i think a few chefs in the US would disagree with you.>>

They probably would Tommy - but when I have reason to believe that a certain food item doesn't "travel well" - I'd rather stick with the local stuff. Whatever it happens to be. Robyn

[tommy]

and the rest of us will enjoy truffles.

well, those of us who don't think they taste like dirt anyway.

and i hope Azrael tries them as well, and buys into the opinion of countless top US chefs, rather than the idea that they don't travel well.

Edited November 24, 2003 by tommy (log)

[marie-louise]

I've only had them two or three times. Only once was memorable: we each ordered risotto w/ white truffles one Christmas Eve at Boulevard (in SF). They put this dish in front of us and it smelled SO INCREDIBLE! All we wanted to do is keep inhaling instead of eating, and trust me, for us that's saying something. It is an earthy smell, but a rather sensuous one.

We went back for Christmas Eve the next year, but alas, no truffles.

Truffle oil isn't a bad substitute, and a tiny bottle is about $10. A little goes a long way.

[Chad]

One thing no one has gotten into is the visceral reaction we have to truffles. I have to admit that I've not had scads of the real thing. Most of my experience comes from truffle oils and the like.

There's definitely some kind of musky pheremonal thing going on. To some, truffles are like the scent of hot sex on a summer morning. To others its more like the smell of a sweaty gym locker. It's a very primative reaction, coming from somewhere deep in the spinal cord. Either way, it's an evocative taste and smell.

Chad

[KatieLoeb]

One thing no one has gotten into is the visceral reaction we have to truffles. I have to admit that I've not had scads of the real thing. Most of my experience comes from truffle oils and the like.

There's definitely some kind of musky pheremonal thing going on. To some, truffles are like the scent of hot sex on a summer morning. To others its more like the smell of a sweaty gym locker. It's a very primative reaction, coming from somewhere deep in the spinal cord. Either way, it's an evocative taste and smell.

Chad

This is more or less what I was going to say. Truffles are a very sexy smell if that's what floats your boat. Some folks think sweaty is sexy, some folks just find it offensive. Depends which side of the fence you fall on in that argument. I find the scent of truffles very earthy and sensuous. Turnips smell a whole lot more like dirt to me than this does. But I also like mushrooms a LOT. I think if you aren't a fan of fungi, you'll find truffles to be very offensive.

Truffle oil spinkled into mashed potatoes is a good "Truffles 101" experiment for the uninitiated. Quite delicious next to a medium rare steak of your favorite cut. The real thing shaved onto a dish is a bit jarring at first. I'd suggest easing into it gently if it's your first time. Not that dis-similar to other experiences that may have been initially distasteful, but sort of grew on you with more experience...

[ExtraMSG]

Mixing some truffle oil in with butter and using it as an accent on any bland item -- bread, potaotes, eggs, cream sauce, etc -- is also a good way to introduce yourself to truffles. Personally, I find truffle oil to be one of the best means to "kick up" a lot of bland dishes. It adds aroma and depth to bland flavors.

Like any intense flavor (and smell), though, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. And for many, they'd probably have to get used to it (think of the first time you tried alcohol). It liked truffles immediately, unlike other luxury items like foie gras and caviar which I still only like in moderation and to some degree cancelled by strong flavors meant to balance out these items.

My wife can't stand any sort of chiles -- and it's not the heat, bell peppers are probably her least favorite. I have a friend who gets ill from pickles or anything with a vinegary taste, such as mustard. I have another friend who can't stand the taste of bananas. I feel sorry for them as I do for anyone who doesn't like truffles. But I'm not surprised. It's an intense flavor.

Edited November 24, 2003 by ExtraMSG (log)