Are fresh truffles actually good?

[Delat]

I had a really disappointing experience with raw black truffle many years ago - it was at a fantastic high end restaurant, but the truffles were completely tasteless.

Just recently at a 1-star restaurant in Tuscany - presumably close enough to the source to be fresh - the truffles were also completely tasteless. This restaurant has gotten 1 Michelin star every year for the past 10+ years, and I had one of their iconic dishes so I assume it tasted the way it should taste.

Am I just really unlucky in getting old, tasteless truffles? Do good, fresh truffles taste the way you’d expect - like actual truffles? I’m truly puzzled and disappointed.

Here’s the dish:

 

[Heckel7302]

I've only been truly impressed by truffles once, at a restaurant in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy, where some of the best truffles are harvested. It was in March, tail end of black truffle season. The town's signature dish is Strangozzi al tartufo, basically a thick spaghetti with truffle cream sauce then a ridiculous amount of fresh black truffle shaved over the top. Everything truffle related I've had after that has been disappointing.

 

[Patinated]

In my personal experience, I have never liked tasting fresh truffles just by itself. I didnt like because there was nothing to like about it, it was very neutral. But if truffles are macerated in olive oil, the oil gets very nicely flavored and you can use that on pizza, pasta etc.

 

[MarcelNL]

yep Umbrie is the place to be...we stumbled across Tartufi driving around there...

fresh truffle, and lots of it!

 

[MarcelNL]

Oh ehh and wait for the proper ones...not the summer truffles, those rank like a 5 on 1-5 scale where 1 is best IMHO.. They're not cheap without a reason ;-)

I vividly recall the fresh pasta with about an ounce of black (summer, sadly) truffle and a handfull of Parmiggiano and cracked black pepper I cooked illegally on an Iwatani we smuggled into the (previously) Abby of San Pietro di Valle in Umbrie....(goes back to approx 1100AD)

There are a few things I'm perfectly OK to be woken up for dead early....truffle is on that list

 

[Delat]

I've only been truly impressed by truffles once, at a restaurant in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy, where some of the best truffles are harvested. It was in March, tail end of black truffle season. The town's signature dish is Strangozzi al tartufo, basically a thick spaghetti with truffle cream sauce then a ridiculous amount of fresh black truffle shaved over the top. Everything truffle related I've had after that has been disappointing.

Hmmm, I had this dish in mid-May so maybe the truffles were old.

 

[Heckel7302]

Hmmm, I had this dish in mid-May so maybe the truffles were old.

I see them as highly seasonal, so maybe. White truffles late fall, black truffles winter/early spring. Any other time of the year, maybe not worth it.

 

[MarcelNL]

they are seriously seasonal, and they do not travel well..unless extreme care is taken

 

[Choppin]

I've had fresh truffles maybe 2-3 times, one of them at L' Abroisie (3* in Paris). Every experience was similar, "mmm this is interesting, smells amazing, tastes ok... probably not worth the $$".

 

[MarcelNL]

My issue with Truffle in a restaurant is that they are hyped into something they are not....IMO they should casually be piled on top of whatever dish they go well with...a breakfast omelette, some great pasta...the truffle should be part of the recipe and not a price justifier.
Foie gras is abused in the same way.

 

[MarcelNL]

best dish EVER was some risotto with wild pea shoots, some aged lardo on top and a huge dollop of truffle and some extra extra virgine olive oil and seasalt....in a restaurant in that (previous) abbey in San Pietro....'what wine do you recommend?" ....this one is my favorite, but it's expensive...(at 25 euro a bottle in a restaurant!) , they make like 2000 bottles a year and we buy half of them...

GREAT wine, GREAT dish, tremendous experience!

That place oozes history, religion, peace....and quiet.....a ridiculous whole body and mind experience
(I have traveled quite a bit but this was truly exceptional)


https://www.google.com/travel/hotel...paign=sharing&utm_medium=link&utm_source=htls

 

[Old Fashioned]

All the truffles!!!

 

[Michi]

Truffles have a fairly bland taste. They are not eaten for their taste, but their aroma. A good fresh truffle (especially a white one) will instantly fill an entire room with its aroma as soon as you start shaving it.

For a truffle to shine, it needs some heat and, preferably oil or fat. That really lifts the aroma.

 

[MarcelNL]

to me aroma is taste, we taste far less than what we smell ;-)

 

[labor of love]

I really don’t care for truffles either.

 

[MSicardCutlery]

I really don’t care for truffles either.

Have you tried adding queso?

 

[labor of love]

Have you tried adding queso?

Waste of good queso ngl

 

[PappaG]

I think they taste like dirt. sorry

 

[Heckel7302]

Have you tried adding queso?

What about truffle hollandaise?

 

[refcast]

The best truffle dish I had was yakitori with chicken skin, thigh, and truffles. Everything roasted on itself, with that binchotan char and smokiness, and it was amazing. Chicken fat melted into everything, slight coat of gelatin from the skin. The raw truffle taste is a bit. . . Carboardy? But roasted the texture is nicer. The raw aroma is gone and it's nicer to me. Truffles with heat and animal fat are how they taste best to me

At the same place, I had a variation of the same skewer but with raw truffles placed at the end and it was not as tasty.

Yakitoriya, sawtelle, LA

 

[superworrier]

One of the traps of expensive ingredients (incl caviar) is "rationing" it out where you have a bite with a small amount of truffle, but it will be small enough where you can't taste it. I guess another problem is with the price, you might just get a small portion that is mainly for appearances. Honestly I tend to avoid truffles entirely. White truffle oil is just nasty to me, the fresh stuff I have not been impressed with yet

 

[M1k3]

Carboardy?

 

[gentiscid]

Truffles are love or hate. Also, in Italy and wherever else, there is cheating with Chinese truffles being transplanted to the hills… Also, the truffle market is completely controlled by Mafia and/or big families. There are documentaries on the truffle empire…

Also not sure what your expectations are… you say tasteless like u ate chalk! Truffle should have some intense flavor… authenticity is a different thing. In the US I have never found fresh truffles, only preserved in olive oil in the form of slices or sauce. The best truffle brand I have had is Jimmy’s Truffle (they have truffle pasta too, best pasta ever).

 

[gentiscid]

I had a really disappointing experience with raw black truffle many years ago - it was at a fantastic high end restaurant, but the truffles were completely tasteless.

Just recently at a 1-star restaurant in Tuscany - presumably close enough to the source to be fresh - the truffles were also completely tasteless. This restaurant has gotten 1 Michelin star every year for the past 10+ years, and I had one of their iconic dishes so I assume it tasted the way it should taste.

Am I just really unlucky in getting old, tasteless truffles? Do good, fresh truffles taste the way you’d expect - like actual truffles? I’m truly puzzled and disappointed.

Here’s the dish:

View attachment 253163

The lack of taste explains the excessive amount of truffle slices in that skillet.

 

[riba]

Guess I am on the other side. Also summer truffels I really enjoy on some scrambled eggs. Or just a simple cream sauce with some pasta.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

The absolute best thing about truffles:

 

[ZeeVee]

The absolute best thing about truffles:

Outstanding movie. Need to rewatch.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Outstanding movie. Need to rewatch.

It really was a surprisingly good movie.