Has a Startup Found the Secret to Farming the Elusive Truffle? • Hacker News Board

Re: Has a Startup Found the Secret to Farming the Elusive Truffle?

#31

Post by andreapaiola » Sat, Nov 26, 2016, 8:39 AM UTC

DamnInteresting wrote: post #25

Jack000 wrote: post #7

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…

Yes, it's a very strong flavor and obviously you could not like it. Not everything is for everyone. It's also difficult to use ("cook") right and it's perishable, so probably the taste of white truffle here in Italy on top of handmade fresh tagliatelle...

Re: Has a Startup Found the Secret to Farming the Elusive Truffle?

#32

Post by tptacek » Sat, Nov 26, 2016, 2:59 PM UTC

jcoffland wrote: post #30

tptacek wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... and are also considered inferior (and are certainly different) than European truffles.

Some Europeans will always consider wine, truffles, etc. produced in the US as inferior and some Americans will believe it or adopt this opinion to seem more sophisticated but logic would have it that quality wine or mushrooms don't really care if they are European.

It's not chauvinism; American truffles are a different product.

Re: Has a Startup Found the Secret to Farming the Elusive Truffle?

#33

Post by jaclaz » Sun, Nov 27, 2016, 10:57 AM UTC

Pinckney wrote: post #27

DamnInteresting wrote: post #25

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.

The "real" truffle is the "white" one, the "black" one is considered (and it is) vastly inferior and there are several varieties of the "black" one (some wuite good, some a lot less).

Truffle oil is made (the good one) from the rests of the truffles or from too tiny ones, and not-so-surprisingly if you use real, good truffle and real, good olive oil, it is a good product.

Most of it is however made with inferior quality oils and with artificial flavourings, and quite frankly it is usually terrible.

Any dish with truffle be it the superior "white" or inferior "black" kind is usually any normal, not particular savoury in itself dish (like the mentioned "tagliatelle al burro") on which the truffle is added at the end in tiny slices, often (this is what is done at home and in "high level restaurants") by bringing on the table the truffles and the special tool to slice them, and everyone slices what he/she finds adequate on his/her own plate. The tool is like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NucklhqTRU