Hacker News Reader

Comment by huhtenberg | Hacker News Reader

Black truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products. That's what makes it possible to pick up a bottle of "truffle oil" in your supermarket of choice.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-Dithiapentane

View on HN

And those truffle flavored products taste terrible and are not at all comparable to the real thing.

Nah, they're just different. And often quite good.

Chocolate ice cream and dog shit are comparable, just not favorably for the dog

Truffle oil most often contains no actual truffle. Instead, most uses a product like 2,4-dithiapentane which mimics the aromatics of truffle. Most if not all chefs hate truffle oil with an unholy passion.

Yeah, truffle oils are the vanilla extracts to whole vanilla beans. Surprisingly close. But noticeably far from the real thing.

Closer to artificial vanilla, actually.

You probably mean vanillin to vanilla (where its extract is the real deal, just a processed bean)?

Sometimes an 'essence' vs. 'extract' distinction is made, but double-checking that prior to commenting it seems that's not reliable, they're also sometimes considered synonyms.

Vanillin is no substitute for actual vanilla. At least in cream for custard or something - things where it's best used anyway - maybe if the thing already tastes 'flavoured' (I sort of know what I mean by that, but have no idea how to write it.. I realise it sounds silly) then there's no difference, like a sponge cake for example.

Synthetic vanillin is fine for baked/heated goods because the differentiators present in actual vanilla extract are overwhelmingly volatile compounds that evaporate in the first few minutes of baking. By the time you pull the goods out of the oven, the result is nearly chemically indistinguishable. This is why many no-bake custard recipes specify that the vanilla should be added only as one of the last few steps, after all heating is completed.

Yeah - don’t buy truffle oil unless you can actually see truffle shavings in the oil itself. Truffles are so aromatic, that just a sliver can infuse a small bottle.

I am extremely suspicious of industrial products with chunks of stuff in them.

If these shavings are real truffles, they are most likely low grade ones with little aroma, the bulk of the flavor being artificial. It is essentially the same as the "plain" product with chunks added to make it look more authentic. Read the label. In most countries, labels are regulated, chunks of stuff are not (except for food safety).

Akshually, natural truffle aromatics are not oil-soluable, so the scent still comes from the synthetics and shavings are there just for the decor.

> Truffles are so aromatic, that just a sliver can infuse a small bottle.

I don't know if I've only had low quality truffles, but basically all the truffles I've had in my life have been very mild and wouldn't be able to flavor a small bottle of oil.

Yep, that ship has sailed. Burger King in Singapore was selling a "Truffle Mayo Chicken Tendercrisp" a few years back, for heaven's sake.

>Black truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products.

Just made some truffle-oil infused smoked mac-n-cheese.

Sometimes, capitalism is _delicious_.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com