21–30 of 33 posts
There's already an alternative truffle source - China. They are considered substantially inferior to European truffles.
Not to mention that there are Oregon White and Black truffles[1], which are quite good, already grow in the US, and are much cheaper. Now, if they had figured out to grow the mycelium in vitro at scale, I'd be impressed... 1: https://whatscookingamerica.net/Truffles/OregonTruffles.htm
http://www.ducketttruffieres.com/
http://terranossa.ca/perigord-black-truffle/
"The Perigord Black Truffle was originally produced in France and Italy in truffle and oak orchards on calcareous soil. Techniques for successful Perigord Black Truffle production have been developed, tested and shown to be successful in New Zealand, Australia and parts of the US. There are now a small number of farmers attempting to do the same in BC, mainly on Vancouver Island, the lower mainland and the Okanogan."
This is something that I expect the tissue engineering community to break. I know that sounds weird but according to folks I've talked to who were looking at various lab grown structures, fungi are significantly easier than say meat. And an artificial hamburger at $350/lb sounds impractical, artificial white truffles at $350/lb sounds like a money making opportunity.
This is fashion food. They will pay extra for the lab-grown stuff once fashion shifts back away from the dirt and towards 'clean' synthetics.
Nothing new. Some Canadians have been doing this for over a decade. http://www.ducketttruffieres.com/ http://terranossa.ca/perigord-black-truffle/ "The Perigord Black Truffle was originally produced in France and Italy in truffle and oak orchards on calcareous soil. Techniques for successful Perigord Black Truffle production have been developed, tested and shown to be successful in New Zealand, Australia and parts of…
I haven't had European truffles, so I have nothing to compare them to though in terms of quality. The price was about the same as European ones though, I think it was about NZ$3 per gram?
I think the price and relative scarcity of the truffle is a part of its allure. If it became cheap something else would occupy its niche. At least for me truffles are extremely overrated in the taste department.
Nothing new. Some Canadians have been doing this for over a decade. http://www.ducketttruffieres.com/ http://terranossa.ca/perigord-black-truffle/ "The Perigord Black Truffle was originally produced in France and Italy in truffle and oak orchards on calcareous soil. Techniques for successful Perigord Black Truffle production have been developed, tested and shown to be successful in New Zealand, Australia and parts of…
Yep, I've had New Zealand black truffles before. I haven't had European truffles, so I have nothing to compare them to though in terms of quality. The price was about the same as European ones though, I think it was about NZ$3 per gram?
I think the price and relative scarcity of the truffle is a part of its allure. If it became cheap something else would occupy its niche. At least for me truffles are extremely overrated in the taste department.
Agreed regarding the disappointing flavor. My wife and I enjoy sampling a wide variety of foods (e.g., we've recently tried horse tenderloin [delicious], pork brains [bland], wild boar liver [extremely tasty]). We went to a fancy place that had some truffle offerings, and we were excited about trying them, but neither of us liked it at all. It was a strong, not great flavor resembling minced garlic that had been burn…
This is something that I expect the tissue engineering community to break. I know that sounds weird but according to folks I've talked to who were looking at various lab grown structures, fungi are significantly easier than say meat. And an artificial hamburger at $350/lb sounds impractical, artificial white truffles at $350/lb sounds like a money making opportunity.
Truffles are like wine. The taste isn't the product. The product is the backstory, the where and how of the production. Those paying top dollar want their food to have a biography of picturesque farms tended by hearty farm folk, with a few inoffensive Labradors throw in. The boots and pants can be muddy, that shows that they are close to the earth. But never the shirts. No self-respecting farmer would dare be seen in…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed regarding the disappointing flavor. My wife and I enjoy sampling a wide variety of foods (e.g., we've recently tried horse tenderloin [delicious], pork brains [bland], wild boar liver [extremely tasty]). We went to a fancy place that had some truffle offerings, and we were excited about trying them, but neither of us liked it at all. It was a strong, not great flavor resembling minced garlic that had been burn…
I'm curious, were these actual truffle dishes? Or were they simply flavored with truffle oil? Because truffle oil, is by most accounts, awful.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not to mention that there are Oregon White and Black truffles[1], which are quite good, already grow in the US, and are much cheaper. Now, if they had figured out to grow the mycelium in vitro at scale, I'd be impressed... 1: https://whatscookingamerica.net/Truffles/OregonTruffles.htm
... and are also considered inferior (and are certainly different) than European truffles.