Truffles - what are they like ?

Grant

Grant

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While reading the travel section of the Sunday Times, I happened upon an article about truffles.
I realized that I have never even seen one, let alone tasted one.
What do they taste like & where in Cape Town can I experience the purported delights of this truffle ?
 
They look like deformed mushrooms and are nutty and frankly delicious;) I've had them in slices on a pizza and it was amazeballs!!!
 
grantza said:
While reading the travel section of the Sunday Times, I happened upon an article about truffles.
I realized that I have never even seen one, let alone tasted one.
What do they taste like & where in Cape Town can I experience the purported delights of this truffle ?
Click to expand...

No idea, i investigated growing them a few months back though, no returns in 7-8 years if any at all...
 
There are a few farms near Elgin that grow them successfully. Years ago (in the 1950's) you could get them in Newlands and Tokai forest

The nearest commercial food taste is almond butter
 
/waits for resident chef DJ... to share his vast knowledge of Truffles with us
 
APoc184 said:
/waits for resident chef DJ... to share his vast knowledge of Truffles with us
Click to expand...

I know a bit about the truffle.
You have to train dogs or pigs to sniff them out, most experienced handlers get the dog to sniff out the patch and then sniff it themselves to make sure that the truffle is ready for harvest.
The fungi forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees roots (Oak trees mostly) and feeds off the tree while the fungi extends the roots available surface area to uptake more water and nutrients from the soil.

If i could just get my hands on a decent piece of mycelium, i would propogate and innoculate some oak trees in my yard and surrounding veld.
 
Batista said:
I know a bit about the truffle.
You have to train dogs or pigs to sniff them out, most experienced handlers get the dog to sniff out the patch and then sniff it themselves to make sure that the truffle is ready for harvest.
The fungi forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees roots (Oak trees mostly) and feeds off the tree while the fungi extends the roots available surface area to uptake more water and nutrients from the soil.

If i could just get my hands on a decent piece of mycelium, i would propogate and innoculate some oak trees in my yard and surrounding veld.
Click to expand...

It's not difficult to get mycelium.
Just order over the net.
 
Batista said:
I know a bit about the truffle.
You have to train dogs or pigs to sniff them out, most experienced handlers get the dog to sniff out the patch and then sniff it themselves to make sure that the truffle is ready for harvest.
The fungi forms a symbiotic relationship with the trees roots (Oak trees mostly) and feeds off the tree while the fungi extends the roots available surface area to uptake more water and nutrients from the soil.

If i could just get my hands on a decent piece of mycelium, i would propogate and innoculate some oak trees in my yard and surrounding veld.
Click to expand...

Nice!

And the taste? Is it an acquired taste?
 
I'm sure Giovanni's sells them...
 
They're like really earthy, potent mushrooms. I've got two bottles of truffle oil in the pantry - black and white. Can't easily source the real things here...
 
DJ... said:
They're like really earthy, potent mushrooms. I've got two bottles of truffle oil in the pantry - black and white. Can't easily source the real things here...
Click to expand...

What dishes do they get used in the most?

Salads?

And I've seen on shows like Chopped, Iron Chef and others that it is something that can very easily spoil a dish. Especially the oil if you use too much of it.

Does it mostly overpower the other ingredients?
 
APoc184 said:
What dishes do they get used in the most?

Salads?

And I've seen on shows like Chopped, Iron Chef and others that it is something that can very easily spoil a dish. Especially the oil if you use too much of it.

Does it mostly overpower the other ingredients?
Click to expand...

Used in Italian and French dishes a lot. The oil is used as a finishing oil, so you simply add a few drops to whatever you like. Risotto works nicely with it. Some cream-based pastas as well. Vegetables work well too. Also remember that black truffles can be used in actual cooking, but white not so much as the volatile flavour molecules are destroyed with the application of heat.

And yes, too much of either the truffle or the oil will spoil a dish. It is very pungent...
 
Black truffle is often used more as a garnish at the end in thin slivers to add a delicate flavor to the food.
It is very easy to totally change the flavor profile of the food however so best use it in small qtys.
 
Electric said:
Black truffle is often used more as a garnish at the end in thin slivers to add a delicate flavor to the food.
It is very easy to totally change the flavor profile of the food however so best use it in small qtys.
Click to expand...

Actually white truffle is mostly used as a raw finish and black truffle used in cooking. Both can obviously be used as a raw finish to a dish but white contains the more volatile flavour molecules of the two...
 
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