Looking for a good truffle oil? This magical oil brings the flavor and aroma of truffles to a dish. We’re not talking small balls of chocolate here: we’re talking mushrooms. Black and white truffles are prized in many cuisines, but they’re very expensive and hard to find. Truffle flavor is earthy and intoxicating in a way that’s difficult to describe. The oil condenses that beautiful flavor of truffles right into a bottle you can keep on the shelf.
The best truffle oil to buy? All natural.
You may have heard that some chefs turn up their noses at truffle oil. Why? Many truffle oils that have been available on the market are synthetic. That means they’re made using lab-made compounds that mimic flavors found in real truffles. Of course, restaurant chefs can afford to use real truffles, whereas most home-cooks cannot. So are there truffle oils that are made using real truffles? Yes! Great options are becoming more widely available. Some great brands (we’re not affiliated):
TRUFF: Our favorite is TRUFF Truffle Oil: it has a rich black truffle flavor that is more intense than most all natural oils. Urbani: Another good option is Urbani’s white truffle oil. It’s made in Italy, all natural and with real truffle pieces inside and nothing synthetic. It has a fantastic, subtle truffle aroma.
And now…our top truffle oil recipes!
And now, here’s a list of the very best ways to use truffle oil! From truffle fries to pizza to risotto, there’s something for everyone here. Note: Keep in mind that all natural truffle oil is much less potent than synthetic, which can be rather strong. If you aren’t able to get ahold of the all natural stuff for these recipes, don’t be too heavy handed.
Why are truffles so expensive?
Black and white truffles can be considered a type of mushroom. But technically, they’re fungi! Unlike other mushrooms, they grow underground and don’t have a visible stem. They’re considered the “diamond of the kitchen” and are highly prized in many cuisines. Why are truffles so expensive? Two reasons: first, they are expensive because they are very hard to farm. Truffles grow in the roots of trees, and prefer only specific soils and trees. Second, truffles are difficult to harvest. Truffle hunters have to rely on animals that are trained to recognize the scent of truffles growing underground! Dogs and pigs are used by truffle hunters to hunt out these tasty fungi. (It’s actually seriously fascinating!) So you can see why the oil version was invented! Real truffles are expensive and fairly difficult for home cooks to find. Truffle oil imparts the flavor and essence without having to shell out the cash. And it’s shelf stable!
Want another way to bring in truffle flavor?
One last thing! Another great way to bring in truffle flavor is Urbani canned truffles and mushrooms! Alex and I randomly found this product in our grocery store. It’s a small can of mushrooms that are flavored with real truffles. The flavor is really intense and beautiful! We use this when we want to add big flavor and have pieces of actual mushrooms (see the photo below).
Buy it! Canned Truffles & Mushrooms
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