Anyone interested in trying truffles for the first time should be aware that there’s a cheap substitute that’s sometimes sold as the real thing. It looks like and presumably is a small piece of real truffle in clear oil in a very small jar, but it has no flavor or aroma. I saw no such indication on the label and felt deceived, although I’ve been told that it’s supposed to be used for decorative purposes. WTF? I can understand the appeal of something like bento grass, but this stuff just looks like dirt. The fact of the matter and reason for this post is that I should have known better. The real thing will set you back at least twenty or thirty bucks (or much more) and is not readily available everywhere year round, and I found the substitute on a shelf at a local “gourmet” food store and figured it was worth a gamble at five bucks. Boy was I wrong.
It’s interesting to me to see truffles and saffron described as “subtle.” To me, both are quite overwhelming flavors and scents, and a very very little goes a long way. (I do like both, though.)
I think you took my modifier of “subtle” in the wrong way. I agree the flavors/scents are distinctive and said so. I can’t personally quite get to “overwhelming.”
I used the word, “subtle,” in its meaning with respect to truffles smelling like turpentine. I get a quality of turpentine in the scent, but that characteristic is subtle to me. Yet it is strong enough that I can immediately tell that I’m going to find a truffle in that spot when I’m digging for them, so in that respect, not subtle at all.
Actually, I wasn’t responding to your description, but rather earlier ones in the thread, like Maastricht saying the first few times she couldn’t taste it or how jjiimm also said that truffle tasters come down to three categories: 1/3 who don’t taste it at all, 1/3 who taste it and love it, 1/3 who taste it and hate it. Athena also mentioned “subtle and overwhelming” with an explanation (which is different than just calling them “subtle,” and I think I understand what she’s getting at), but I’ve never really got the subtleness. It announces itself pretty much immediately in anything I’ve eaten with truffles in it (and I do love them.)
A classic pun, cleverly deployed. My compliments.
I suppose truffles are pretty great, too. But a good pun is timeless.
As one poster mentioned above, umami. Whenever I hear that word I think of truffles.
My brother, younger sister and I had my birthday dinner four years ago at Providence in West Hollywood. Best meal of my life. Also, the fastest three hours of my life. They had their truffle in the little wooden box on rice, too.
My apologies, then. Since I had also used the word, “subtle,” I could only assume your response was directed in part to my description.
It’s kind of fascinating how different people perceive tastes/smells for foods.
I once had a boar slaughtered whose genetics were poor and he had the worst case of boar taint I’ve ever encountered. It would be hard for me to describe how bad that boar taint was, but suffice it to say that one slice of bacon in the microwave for 30 seconds was enough to confirm to me I would never, ever eat one bite of that hog. I could even smell it on the stainless steel knife I used to cut the roasts into chunks for one of my dogs. Euggghhh.
My home kill butcher told me later that about 25% of people can’t discern boar taint at all. To me, that’s almost inconceivable, but I guess it’s true. That’s a guy who would know!
25% of dogs apparently can’t discern boar taint, either. But then, he ate it raw, and the taint doesn’t affect the taste (so they say), just the odor while cooking. Funny thing, though. The border collie loved every bite, and the dachshund wouldn’t touch it.
I think the best way to have continuous enjoyment of truffles at a fair price is to buy something like the La Rustichella brand of black truffle pate. It’s not 100% truffle bits but there’s way more than enough of it in there to give you the full monty of aromatics and flavor.
I LOVE making truffle butter with this stuff, and then using that to make grilled cheese sammiches. As someone above mentioned, it’s HEAVENLY in scrambled eggs.
I also use it to make truffle vinaigrette, also damn good. I do find that it doesn’t do well in things that are already strongly flavored with something else, like a garlicky/oniony red sauce on a pasta. I have tried this and I needed to add way more than I usually use to taste it. My SIL gives me a jar of this stuff every Christmas.
Here’s the goods, I get the 17.6oz jar, it lasts a year and is about $75: https://www.amazon.com/Rustichella-Black-Truffle-Kosher-Gluten/dp/B00XIKGUIA?th=1
ETA: if you get this stuff, or something like it, and you get a big jar, freeze half of it in freezer bags unless your usage is super heavy. It will start to mold in the jar in your fridge after about a couple months
Personally, they taste like turpentine to me. I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned that, turpentine and tyres.
As you can probably guess, I don’t like them very much.
I think this is a similar issue with say, cilantro. A lot of people think it smells like soap and can’t stand it.
What Do Truffles Taste Like?
Two Many Cats
I read this as question answered.
Tastes. Tastes like soap. Which it does.
I am that way with goat - to me anything goat smells and tastes like it has been marinated in goat urine - meat, milk, cheese. I don’t get the same effect from sheep, so it is something genetic to goat.