[HN Gopher] Puzzle of prized white truffle finally yields to sci...
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Puzzle of prized white truffle finally yields to science
 
Author : nigerian1981
Score  : 83 points
Date   : 2022-07-24 09:11 UTC (1 days ago)
 
web link (www.theguardian.com)
w3m dump (www.theguardian.com)
 
| gnrlst wrote:
| The advantage of this goes beyond price: most have to people go
| to Alba (Piemonte, Italy) every year for the Truffle fair for
| fresh white truffle because white truffle can't be stored for
| more than a week or two, so if you want it fresh, you have to go
| to the source, or get it air freighted, or taste it via inferior
| byproducts like "truffle cream" or truffle butter. If this
| democratizes location, it means more people will have access to
| the (much more tasty) white truffle closer to home. Less air
| deliveries, less travel, more truffle on eggs sunnyside up! (the
| traditional, recommended way to enjoy truffle in Alba)
 
| MarkMarine wrote:
| If you'd like to see what truffle hunting is like, I can't
| recommend "The Truffle Hunters" a 2020 documentary enough. It's
| beautifully shot and composed, it's funny and sad and heart
| warming, and shows the life of 70-80 year old truffle hunters and
| their dogs in a way I never knew about or understood.
| 
| After seeing the film, I don't think cultivating these truffles
| will be a bad thing for everyone involved.
 
  | blairbeckwith wrote:
  | This is definitely my second favourite truffle documentary
  | after 2021's Pig.
 
    | mjamil wrote:
    | Not: Pig is not a documentary; it's a fictional drama
    | starring Nic Cage.
 
      | ethbr0 wrote:
      | Really?
      | 
      | It seemed reasonable to want a quiet retirement after a
      | life spent as a famous chef, motorcycle stuntman, American
      | archaeologist, screenwriter, WWII veteran, car thief,
      | angel, felon, FBI agent and chemical weapons expert, infant
      | kidnapper, Vietnam veteran, and burger specialist.
      | 
      | Sometimes, people just want a little peace and solitude,
      | you know?
 
    | MarkMarine wrote:
    | I haven't seen Pig, but I'll watch it, thanks!
 
| mertd wrote:
| I wonder what foodstuff will take place of truffles as the rare
| "it" ingredient once truffles are commodotized.
 
  | vanderZwan wrote:
  | > _While more than 90% of black, highly prized Perigord
  | truffles sold are cultivated, previous attempts to farm their
  | rarer white cousins have failed._
  | 
  | I don't eat truffles myself (too strong a taste for me), but I
  | wouldn't surprise me if most people don't realize they get the
  | cultivated variety already.
 
  | huhtenberg wrote:
  | 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
 
    | safety1st wrote:
    | Yep, that ship has sailed. Burger King in Singapore was
    | selling a "Truffle Mayo Chicken Tendercrisp" a few years
    | back, for heaven's sake.
 
    | zionic wrote:
    | >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_.
 
    | hristov wrote:
    | And those truffle flavored products taste terrible and are
    | not at all comparable to the real thing.
 
      | s1artibartfast wrote:
      | Chocolate ice cream and dog shit are comparable, just not
      | favorably for the dog
 
      | CPLX wrote:
      | Nah, they're just different. And often quite good.
 
    | cbtacy wrote:
    | 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.
 
      | JumpCrisscross wrote:
      | Yeah, truffle oils are the vanilla extracts to whole
      | vanilla beans. Surprisingly close. But noticeably far from
      | the real thing.
 
        | johncalvinyoung wrote:
        | Closer to artificial vanilla, actually.
 
      | binarymax wrote:
      | 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.
 
        | eps wrote:
        | _Akshually_ , natural truffle aromatics are not oil-
        | soluable, so the scent still comes from the synthetics
        | and shavings are there just for the decor.
 
        | GuB-42 wrote:
        | 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).
 
  | causi wrote:
  | Hopefully we start commoditizing everything else, like saffron.
 
    | dwater wrote:
    | The reason saffron is exotic (for Americans) is because Iran
    | produces 90+% of it, and the US government wants to punish
    | the Iranian government with trade sanctions.
 
      | shaky-carrousel wrote:
      | Spain is the largest saffron exporter:
      | 
      | https://www.statista.com/statistics/1031584/global-
      | leading-e...
 
        | sushid wrote:
        | Are you trying to bolstering the parent commenter's claim
        | or trying to refute it? Iran does produce over 90% of the
        | world's supply of saffron and we have sanctions against
        | them, which obviously makes it hard for them to compete
        | on the export front.
        | 
        | https://www.statista.com/statistics/1135621/leading-
        | saffron-...
 
        | adhesive_wombat wrote:
        | Maybe because of the sanctions on Iran mean that almost
        | anyone else buying from them get immediately placed on a
        | US blacklist.
 
    | elil17 wrote:
    | Saffron is already commoditized. It is shelf stable and,
    | while it is very expensive by weight, very little weight is
    | needed to flavor a dish. You can get it at most American
    | supermarkets and cook with it.
 
      | [deleted]
 
  | cptcobalt wrote:
  | My fingers are crossed for caviar. I know it's an acquired
  | taste for some, but damn, it's good.
 
    | Mikeb85 wrote:
    | Caviar has been farm raised for a while now. Almost all the
    | stuff on the market is farm raised. I have a tin of farm-
    | raised Canadian sturgeon caviar in my fridge right now...
    | 
    | They even have techniques to extract the eggs without killing
    | the fish.
 
      | exhilaration wrote:
      | Any chance you can link to brands that "extract the eggs
      | without killing the fish"?
 
        | Mikeb85 wrote:
        | Not sure about every brand (there's over 2000 caviar
        | farms apparently) but a few I found:
        | 
        | https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/ethical-
        | caviar-fa...
        | 
        | https://californiacaviar.com/pages/our-story
        | 
        | https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/meet-frances-no-
        | kil...
        | 
        | Not killing the fish is an obvious way to increase the
        | farm's yield so I imagine most producers are interested
        | in it. Sturgeon meat isn't particularly demanded
        | either...
 
        | eps wrote:
        | Sturgeon is utterly delicious. Hot-smoked sturgeon is an
        | incredible delicacy and it's an absolute riot when
        | grilled.
 
    | RajT88 wrote:
    | I assume you mean Sturgeon caviar.
    | 
    | There are many kinds of fish which are used to make caviar.
    | Some are more affordable than others:
    | 
    | https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/caviar/
    | 
    | Myself, I really want to give Paddlefish a try. Strange
    | beasts!
 
      | yieldcrv wrote:
      | and sturgeon caviar has been in abundance periodically,
      | used no different than ketchup
      | 
      | its really a great example of how people assign importance
      | to things based on their price or scarcity, and that has
      | nothing to do with anything related to the uniqueness or
      | peculiarity of taste
 
    | adhesive_wombat wrote:
    | It's not the same except in general aesthetic but the seaweed
    | pearls from IKEA are still quite fun for PS1.50 a jar.
 
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