Butter Me Up

Nothing like targeting editorial to your audience's income level - or income aspiriations. Today's Wall Street Journal features a Personal Journal story about truffle prices hitting an all-time high, dubbing it the $2,500 condiment.

Now, this story I've seen before. But, what was interesting was their focus on truffle-infused products:

Ironically, at a time when truffles are exceedingly rare and expensive, diners are seeing an unprecedented number of menu items with words like "truffled" or "al tartufo." That's because restaurateurs are well aware that the word "truffle" on a menu adds cachet -- not to mention a mark-up -- to a dish. But instead of using real truffles, some chefs use one of the many truffle-flavored oils, butters and powders on the market.

And, they even did a taste-test with some of these truffle-tinged products:

Liquid Gold
We bought six varieties of truffle-flavored products -- including oils, butter and vinegar -- and tasted them with chef David Waltuck of Chanterelle in New York

PRODUCT: D'Artganan Black Truffle Butter
PRICE/STORE: $7 for 3.5 ozs./Dean and DeLuca
WHAT'S IN IT: Cultured butter, chopped black truffles, truffle "water" made by boiling truffles in water, and sunflower oil infused with truffles
CHEF SAYS: "Pretty good," he says. "I would use it to finish a sauce."
NOTES: Best product, with the most natural truffle flavor, and not a bad price

* * *
PRODUCT: Cuisine Perel White Truffle Grapeseed Oil
PRICE/STORE: $7.99 for 6.5 fl. ozs./Whole Foods
WHAT'S IN IT: Company says it is made by blending genuine white truffle oil with flavorless grapeseed oil
CHEF SAYS: "I do taste a little mushroom," but very little truffle flavor
NOTES: Not offensive, but then, it had very little flavor at all

* * *
PRODUCT: Bosco Vivo Condimento al Tartufo Bianco
PRICE/STORE: $35.99 for 250 ml./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says it gets its truffle aroma from being exposed
to air pumped in from a container filled with truffles, plus artificial flavoring
CHEF SAYS: "Tastes like olive oil with maybe a hint of truffle. It may be real, but I don't taste it at all."
NOTES: The strong, peppery olive oil masked the truffle flavor

* * *
PRODUCT: Selezione Tartufi White Truffle Oil
PRICE/STORE: $10.99 for 1.9 fl. oz./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says it is made with olive oil and a natural flavored extraction derived from real truffles, and no artificial flavoring.
CHEF SAYS: "Chemical taste lingers on the palate oddly."
NOTES: The company says there are no chemical additives

* * *
PRODUCT: Les Moulins Dores Truffle Vinegar
PRICE/STORE: $14.49 for 8.5 fl. oz./Whole Foods
WHAT'S IN IT: Distributor Francvin acknowledges that the truffle flavors listed on the label are actually artificial flavoring
CHEF SAYS: "The acidity is so intense, it's impossible to taste the truffles."
NOTES: Francvin says that truffle vinegar is nearly impossible to make without artificial flavoring

* * *
PRODUCT: Eugenio Brezzi Aromatizzato al Tartufo Bianco
PRICE/STORE: $59.99 for .33 fluid ozs./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says the recipe is a secret. It also says this product is a concentrate that should be diluted before being used
CHEF SAYS: "Extraordinarily unpleasant. Weird, piercing, and intense."
NOTES: While it may taste better in diluted form, the strange taste did not make us want to experiment

I've been a longtime fan of D'Artganan Black Truffle Butter, so I'm not surprised that it was the all-around winner.

One of my favorite uses for this lush, earthy spread: Slice hearty French bread, spread with the truffle butter, sprinkle fresh parmesan on top and broil until crispy and golden. It's a marvelously decadent accompaniment to soup or salad.

Comments

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Nice site! Well done !