Truffles
- Thread starter goboenomo
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college_cook
Head Chef
I can't stand truffles... its such a strong flavor, very aromatic, but not in a good way. Its very offensive flavor to me. The restaurant I work at does a Cured Salmon dish, with crispy potato skins, creme fraische and truffle oil... I think the truffle oil really overpowers the wonderful salmon flavor.
Seven S
Senior Cook
i think the taste of truffles is indescribable. unlike several respondents, i dont think it has a "garlicky" flavor at all. i have tried the truffle oils - the one made from white truffles i find is more potent than the one made from the black ones. i have tried the black truffle paste and find that it is not very truffle-tasting, if you have to choose either paste or oil then i would go with the oil. i do like truffles and truffle oils now very much so and understand the complexity it can add to a dish (not any dish) when used right, but it took me a while to appreciate it. i will use a very strange adjective to describe the scent of truffle oil which i have never seen anyone use, but it does remind me of the way gasoline smells! 
college_cook
Head Chef
goboenomo said:
It's just common sense.... I mean for those that like the truffle flavor, thats great, but if all you can taste in a dish is the truffle oil, then I don't understand why you would bother pairing it with something like cured salmon... the point is to be able to blend the flavors, and maybe cured salmon and truffle oil work well together in theory, but as the dish stands, its like eating truffle flavored potatoes.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
Seven S said:but it does remind me of the way gasoline smells!
if this is true I feel OK about not having them yet. But harborwitch's idea of the oil over polenta sounds pretty good.
Harborwitch
Sous Chef
Gasoline??????? Polenta is one of my favorite things - I adore it and the truffle oil on it is to die for. I'm hoping I can find some more of the polenta with the truffle bits in it. If food can ever be said to be better than sex this is it! 
Seven S
Senior Cook
Constance said:About the smell/fragrance...It is said that they used to use boy pigs to hunt them, because the truffle smells like the girl pig in heat. Maybe that's why more women dislike them than men?
Constance, its the other way around:
"but while dogs must be trained to the scent of truffles, FEMALE pigs or sows need no training whatsoever. This is due to a compound within the truffle which has an uncanny resemblance to the sex pheromone of male pigs or boars to which the sow is keenly attracted"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffles
I've only seen truffles once in my life - about 2 years ago .... they were about 1/2 the size of a golf ball ... the black ones were $45 and the white one was $125. From the smell - I can see where too much of a good thing could be too much.
gobo - $45 for a Bison Burger? That must have been one fantastic burger, or one very expensive hotel! I used to go to a little place on the outskirts of Denver every week and get one (1/3 pound of buffalo) for about $5 - although in the 12 years since I left there they have gone up to $6.50 (I just checked their menu at Clancy's Irish Pub). Although, I don't know what the price of a buffalo burger has to do with truffles ....
gobo - $45 for a Bison Burger? That must have been one fantastic burger, or one very expensive hotel!
I used to go to a little place on the outskirts of Denver every week and get one (1/3 pound of buffalo) for about $5 - although in the 12 years since I left there they have gone up to $6.50 (I just checked their menu at Clancy's Irish Pub). Although, I don't know what the price of a buffalo burger has to do with truffles ....Mark Webster
Senior Cook
Truffles are a great additon to a dish when you need a fresh woodsey flavor added to it. If you like mushrooms you will love topping a pasta with a few shavings of truffles. White truffles come from Italy and Black truffles are from France. If you don't want to spend a ton of money on fesh truffles buy a container of truffle oil. This oil has been infused with powdered truffles. It still can be sort of expensive though.
Chef Mark
Chef Mark
Harborwitch
Sous Chef
Last night we had truffled polenta. I had a bit of polenta with truffle bits in it that I added to some plain polenta and then finished it with about 2 tbs of truffle butter! Everyone was in a state of euphoria from the truffles. Two of our dinner guests had never had them before and just went nuts. The flavor is so incredible - worth trying at least once!!
Try to find the truffle butter. You can melt a bit on a perfectly cooked steak, put it in polenta, scrambled eggs, so many things. It's the perfect finishing touch!
Try to find the truffle butter. You can melt a bit on a perfectly cooked steak, put it in polenta, scrambled eggs, so many things. It's the perfect finishing touch!
OMG! I clicked on this thread because I had just tried a simple delicious recipe in the Kraft Food & Family magazine I had just gotten that was for "Easy Oreo Truffles" and now I find out that truffles arent what I thought they were lol Why on earth did Kraft call their yummy chocolatey dessert "truffles" then? I always thought something that looked like these were called bon bons. Oh well, I learn something new everyday!
lol Why on earth did Kraft call their yummy chocolatey dessert "truffles" then? I always thought something that looked like these were called bon bons. Oh well, I learn something new everyday! 
GB
Chief Eating Officer
LOL dalentam both things are truffles. One is a dessert and the other is a fungus. They share the same name, but are obviously very different items
Harborwitch
Sous Chef
GB is right - and both are foods of the Gods!!! 
RDG
Senior Cook
Gobo,truffles are similar to mushrooms in the same way that a Ferrari is similar to a FIAT
. They are absolutely different. And not only in price.
Truffle smelling is unique: or you love it, or you hate it. It's impossible to be indifferent.
For those that are using a truffle oil, be carefull: generally, truffle smelling in oils is chemical. Very similar, but chemical (I too use it).
Generally too, is pure truffle adding in butters or pastes.
Dalentam, "truffles" desserts are called so because looking is similar: a dark ball, with a nut color inside.
. They are absolutely different. And not only in price.Truffle smelling is unique: or you love it, or you hate it. It's impossible to be indifferent.
For those that are using a truffle oil, be carefull: generally, truffle smelling in oils is chemical. Very similar, but chemical (I too use it).
Generally too, is pure truffle adding in butters or pastes.
Dalentam, "truffles" desserts are called so because looking is similar: a dark ball, with a nut color inside.
