Modern Vespa

As someone who loves to cook, I am ashamed I have not dipped into the pool of truffle oil. I realize it is a finishing oil, like a nice olive oil. I need some input on a nice(but not too pricey) truffle oil. I have no clue. Any uses that anyone has would be appreciated also. Thank you in advance.

Ashbrook might have some input. I have never used it.... Yet

Very nice in many dishes used a bit like extra virgin olive oil. Particularly good drizzled on a mushroom risotto or on pasta eg taglietelli parmesan and truffle oil yum

Only one piece of advice:

Less is more.

Use just a few drops, or it gets overpowering.

I have read this. I need a good brand to buy.

Flip your post count around and you are da debal!

Too late. 😉

Oh. That is too hard to answer. Any reputable brand will be ok, but you need to taste it to figure out what you like. Buy the smallest bottle you can, it goes rancid pretty quick, maybe a year on the shelf.

Not sure how doable that is in N.C., out in Cali, there are places like Napa Valley where they have tastings.

I'd check on Amazon. My wife and I use it at home for some pastas and even some vegetable preparation. I think however that we brought some home from Italy on our last trip. We also have a local "Little Italy" with a shop called "Mona Lisa" where one finds a great many imported delicacies. I realize that is little help but when I'm close to the pantry I'll look for you.

Thanks for the help everyone. Wish me luck.

Not to be a party popper... just be aware of what you're buying. It's rare to find real truffle oil, aka oil flavored with real truffle. Most of what's out there is engineered to mimic the real thing.

Truffle oil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Truffle oil (olive oil with black truffle)
Truffle oil is a modern culinary ingredient, used to impart the flavor and aroma of truffles to a dish.

Most truffle oils are not made from actual truffles, but are a synthetic product that combines a thioether (2,4-dithiapentane), one of numerous aromas or odorants found in truffles, with an olive oil or grapeseed oil base.[1] As with pure olive oils, these range from clear to cloudy, and yellow to green.[2]

Truffle oil is commonly used to make "truffle fries," which feature French fries tossed in truffle oil, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and sometimes other ingredients. Some pasta dishes and whipped dishes such as mashed potatoes or deviled eggs incorporate truffle oil.[2]

Truffle oil, available in all seasons and steady in price, is popular with chefs (and some diners) because it is much less expensive than actual truffles, while possessing some of the same flavors and aroma. The emergence and growth of truffle oil has led to an increase in the availability of foods claiming to be made with or flavored with truffles, in an era when the price of truffles has pushed them out of reach for most diners. Real truffle oil (which contains actual truffle, and more truffle than oil instead of the other way around) can go for $90 an ounce.



Opinions of Chefs[edit]
"Their one-dimensional flavor is also changing common understanding of how a truffle should taste," Daniel Patterson complained in a New York Times article.[3]

Gordon Ramsay has referred to natural truffle oil as "a chef's dream".[4] but has referred to engineered white truffle oil as "one of the most pungent, ridiculous ingredients ever known to [this] chef."

Anthony Bourdain said, "Let it be stated here, unto forever and eternity, truffle oil is not food."[5]

Martha Stewart expressed her dislike of truffle oil in a 2014 post on Reddit, stating "I think truffle oil is one of the few ingredients that doesn't belong in anyone's kitchen. It's ruinous of most recipes."[6]

I can't believe Mona Lisa doesn't have Calabria Peppers. They are a must when I make pizza, and I have to mail order them. I can't find them anywhere in San Diego.

Thats actually quite a surprise.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks KT. That brand is in a price range I can live with. Can you give a me a quick rundown between the white and black flavor? I think I would lean toward the milder of the two, if that is even applicable.

I've never used truffle oil, but every time I see it being used on Hell's Kitchen, Chopped, etc, the contestant gets the bejesus smacked out them. The verbal abuse is epic.

Does Motul make a truffle oil?

If it did I would be all over it.

The only thing I've ever agreed with Gordon Ramsay on (loathe the man)

It overpowers everything IMO
I was lucky enough to try fried eggs with fresh white truffle grated on top in Italy. Once in a lifetime food experience..

It was heavenly

After that I never used truffle oil again...

If you ever get the chance to eat fresh, do.... Wonderful

Kitty
X

I definitely like some truffle now and then, but It's very easy to over do it. I have a restaurant by my house that recently started using truffle oil and now they put it on everything. Truffle fries, truffle mac, truffle burger, etc. It's gotten to the point where I can't eat there anymore, because everything I liked now has truffle oil on it.

Nothing replaces fresh truffle, but a little oil is good every now and then. Like others have said, "less is more".