Truffles
 

Did a search and couldn't find any thread yet primarily devoted to truffles. Truffle oil, yes, but not truffles. Post your experiences with truffles. Would be fascinating to hear!

I have had black truffles three times, each time couldn't taste them, so thought the matter might be genetic. Even found some comments on the Internet that some people evidently can't taste them. However, yesterday, on CBS, Sixty Minutes, learned that there are some inexpensive black truffles from China that don't have flavor. The following link is given because it loads faster than the CBS Internet link and has the same material essentially about the Chinese black truffle:

http://matzav.com/truffles-the-most-...d-in-the-world

I didn't pay truffle prices. At the Sorrento Hilton once, on a special menu, probably evening menu, though I can't recall, do recall that they had several menus at the time, maybe a vegetarian menu or something, the items listed included scrambled eggs served with truffles, priced probably not much more than their pizza (and don't order their pizza :D). The truffles--I had to remind the waiter that they were included in the menu--were whole. But they had no taste.

So okay. I had black truffle shavings two times later in the U.S. at relatively upscale restaurants--three times if you count taking them once from DH's plate--and still couldn't taste them. So I concluded--must be genetics.

Anyhow, I still hadn't paid hundreds of dollars, still happy, since I had fun checking them out.

But we don't have a thread for truffles! We need one. So you who have gone to the summit of gourmet-dom, for the really real French black and Italian white truffles, and come back, give us your experiences!

I've had white truffles at several dinners, paying a lot but not any extreme prices (89 a person or there about)

I really really enjoy truffles, but I would NOT spend hundreds or go out of the way to dine at a place with them by any means, they are a delicate flavor that really is not worth an insane premium.

Michael Mine features them quite often, and that is where I have twice had them, but the free duck fat frenched fries that were served were possibly more memorable :)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3498/3...4eba0935_m.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2627/3...8db42eb7_m.jpg
That is a white truffle bread, pretty good but my tastes say that was more truffle oil than real truffles. Most things with truffle oil are very horrible, as people use it wrong, and it is generally flavored not real truffles.

I tried chocolate truffles in NC and found them best in the town. The restaurant has a variety of truffles. I had a caramel covered in chocolate with sea salt on top which was also good.

ummm are you sure you are talking about the same truffles?

Big difference between truffles (of the mushroom variety) and truffles (of the sugar variety).

I like both the fungus type (esp. white) and the chocolate type (esp. dark).

60 Minutes just re-ran an episode on how the Chinese are ruining the market by flooding it with cheap truffles that are far inferior because they are not allowed to ripen in the ground and develop the complex aromas that the Italian and French ones do (and as a result, sell for 50x as much).

Saw that. Why don't the Chinese let some ripen then? Rather have $1 today than $50 in a year?

They're actually not the same thing.

Chinese truffles are tuber himalayensis, French truffles are tuber melanosporum.

From NYTimes:

Although the two types look the same, the Chinese truffles, when cut, are likely to be blacker, with less veining. They tend to have a chemical odor and very little flavor.

I love them but they're very finicky to store are mold easily. I most commonly buy them from Far West Funghi in San Francisco.

I've had "summer truffles," which aren't the real thing. Nowhere near the same amount of flavor. Otherwise, I believe I've usually had things seasoned with truffle salt or oil. I don't like the oil, but I use truffle salt a lot, especially on eggs.
I've had a few dishes with a good amount of truffle flavor, but I'm not sure how much actual truffle was in there. The flavor is unmistakable, though.

I'm visiting Spain next week and hitting some amazing restaurants. Hopefully I get to try an actual truffle shaving to compare to what I have had.

If you are talking about Chocolate Truffles, I had a great time trying out lots of varieties in Belgium. My favorite was filled with speculoos!

and a further big difference between black, and the rarer white, truffles.

i thought i had read a trip report in the france section about a week long truffle search with a local and either a dog and a pig. i cannot find it now. i wish i could, as i should be able to travel this fall, and that really seemed like an interesting way to spend a week.....walking in the woods with a pig.

If and when you find a real T. melanosporum truffle, you will
know it. On the other hand, most of the truffles I've had, even
expensive ones at restaurants people genuflect at the mention
of, are of lesser varieties and are no more delicious than potatoes.

more does not equal better w/truffles.

I attended a dinner at Charlie Trotter's where every dish had far too much truffle for my liking. I seem to recall that year he had purchased one of the largest truffles and I felt like he wanted to put it all in the dishes I was having.

It has taken me a long time to warm back up to truffles, I'll enjoy now but if it is an item listed on the menu, it is easy for me to pass up that dish.

I'd be curious if anyone has a favorite truffle dish.

Have you had the quail's egg truffle ravioli at Schwa? It's pretty amazing. But my perfect truffle dish is something very simple: Pasta with a light drizzle of olive oil & butter, a little shaved parmesan, some coarse sea salt and fresh shaved truffle (or, failing that, truffle butter or truffle salt).

I went to Schwa a long time ago and that was not on the menu IIRC. The pasta dish is the type of dish I've used to warm back up to truffles, of course I was taking some bites from Mrs Sweet Willie's plate but none the less I did enjoy.

I really enjoy the simple dishes, like basically, a simple cheese sauce with noodles, even macaroni, and then shaved white truffle on top, just simple perfection. I do enjoy something like a balsamic and onion reduction sauce lightly on the side to mix with bites at my on taste and amount for balance and a little acid.

The house of truffles in paris is incredible. never had better truffles then I have had there.

Many years back ( 2003 I think ) at Michel Rostang in Paris I had a very simple cockle risotto with parmesan and some white truffle from Piemonte shaved at the table... best truffle dish ever!

Aaaaaahhhhh yes! yes! yes! ^

There is an italian restuarant in Wsh. D.C. called Al Tiramisu. They get fresh italin truffles every oct. nov. They shave them over fresh pasta at the table. They are incredibly good and expensive. However, you can get a half order, which is what I do, and it helps mitigate the high cost.

Every experience I have had with Truffle Oil has been negative. Even smelling it now makes me feel woozy. The cooking competition shows I watch on Food Network always criticize its use. I wonder what its really good for.

i have only seen a couple of cook channel shows. usually while at a restaurant. i don't think there has been a decent one since julia childs dropped her last chicken on the floor.

Just want to say this thread has been an interesting read, as truffled fries seems to be the a huge thing the last year or so in LA. I didn't know much about them other then having tried them at a few places. Now I kind of understand.

You do realize that truffle oil most often doesn't have
much if anything to do with truffles, right? And truffled
fries are merely salty potatoes sprinkled with truffle oil.

About 10 years ago my wife and I took a friend to Alain Ducasse New York for dinner. It was during white truffle season and my wife and our friend had the "tartufi di alba" (probably mispelled) tasting menu. I had the regular tasting menu but with some supplemental white truffle items substituted. I think one was a white truffle risotta. In any case the meal was spectacular. And the first time I did a double take at a restaurant bill. And I am pretty jaded in that regard.