What is truffle oil?
Every industry has its embarrassing stories: Truffle oil is often used as a lower cost and convenient substitute for truffles, to provide flavoring or to enhance the flavor and aroma of truffles in cooking. However, most of the “truffle oil” sold in delicatessen and stores and online does not contain any truffles. The vast majority is olive oil which has been artificially flavored using a synthetic agent such as 2,4-dithiapentane. Daniel Patterson reported in the New York Times that “even now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles.” Many chefs continue to use inexpensive synthetic truffle oil, considering it to be “a reasonable substitute.” T.A.S.T.E is well aware of the importance of market-driven downstream processing and will be developing a range of flavour and fragrance products in due course. The truffle oil will be a fusion of black truffle and virgin olive oil. In the meantime read the label on the bottle.
