Truffle Oil : Gourmet Delicacy or Industry Scam?

One of the most expensive food stuffs in the world, truffles have been enjoyed as a delicacy in noble banquets since time immemorial. In ancient Egypt, truffles were enjoyed covered in goose fat and to the Greeks they were considered mythical and even ascribed healing powers.

Truffles are the vegetative part of a fungi. The edible spores grow below ground on the fungus Tuber. Although often confused, truffles thrive underground whereas mushrooms bloom above land. Research has proven truffles have symbiotic relationships with oak and filbert trees.

Prior to their cultivation as a crop, wild truffles were found usually found spawning underground at the base of trees. Pigs and dogs were trained to sniff them out. Female pigs hunted better as the small brown balls contain androstanol, a hormone found in male pigs saliva.

Why are they so expensive? Truffles are rare, uncommon to find and start to lose their potency after harvesting which makes the crop time sensitive. Although they do grow wild in the US, cultivation is difficult and the crops unreliable. Training dogs and pigs can be costly!

Truffle oil is a kitchen delicacy, used sparingly in culinary art as a finisher for dishes of certain cuisine such as pastas and risotto. Recently, truffle oil has made its way to the table for casual drizzling, much like olive oil, opening the market to counterfeits and fakes.

Authentic truffle oil requires high quality olive oil to infuse the truffles and create that rich taste and flavour. Synthetic truffle oil is made by adding the chemical 2-4 dithiapentane, which mimics the taste and aroma of real truffle, to a cheaper oil base such as canola.  

How to spot a fake:

The taste will be inferior, less deep or earthy.

The oil may look too pure with no natural residue.

The aroma may not be as arresting as real truffle oil.

The price may be affordable!

The word 'truffle' may be missing from the ingredients list.

Real truffles are highly nutritious sources of vitamins and minerals with natural antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The health benefits of adding truffles to your diet are numerous: they are high in micro nutrients and, early studies show, may even be a complete protein.

Fake truffle oil has no known health benefits.

Real truffle oil adds punchy flavour to pesto, pasta, meats and vegetables, complimenting cheese sauce or any mushroom based dish. But if you've tasted truffle oil in recent restaurant dishes, chances are you've been conned.

Always check the label to ensure the oil contains real truffles to avoid the truffle industry scam. Unless you’re a gourmet gastronome, dining in the finest Michelin star restaurants, or you just happen to be a trained truffle-sniffing pig yourself.

Bon appétit!