email hidden said:I've never tastedtruffles, truffle oil, or any other truffle
product. It would probably be difficult to find a "fresh" truffle in
this area, but because so many people rave about them, I'd like to
try. I've Googled the subject and didn't find what I've been looking
for.
What do they taste like? Has anyone used wholetrufflesor truffle
oil? They are quite expensive and I don't want to buy anything that I
will throw out, regardless of price. (Food is sacred, you know).
I don't like any type of mushroom. I don't like the taste, aroma, or
texture, so if a truffle is similar, I won't bother.
Please share your opinions and the ways you've tried them.
I've had truffles from several countries in many ways. Each aroma in
my opinion is different, and lends itself to distinctive dishes which
are hard to replicate but substituting a different species.
Don't assume truffles cannot be found nearby. The North American
Truffling Society keeps voucher collections of material its members
find, and a tremendous variety have been found already. I even have
one named for me: Tuber wheeleri.
If you have trees and shrubs you likely have truffles. They are
symbiotic fungi (mutually beneficial) associated with hazel, chestnut,
oak, willow, Douglas-fir, and many more.
Tuber magnatum (Italian White truffle) tastes to me like: Tillamook
(Oregon) dairy farm at high tide. Active ingredient methyl sulphide is
also found in rotting seaweed/mud. When you think of seashore, the
aroma is usually that of a truffle.<G>
Tuber melanosporum (French Black truffle): a wonderfully complex of
aromas centered around garlic and some cheeses. When very fresh, it
can be heady stuff. It is also known to contain pheromones, and thus
is truly an aphrodisiac.
Terfezia arenaria (Desert truffle): very nice in corn chowder, tasting
very similar to Oregon White truffle.
Tuber gibbosum (Oregon White truffle): dried morel, fresh-roasted
hazelnuts, Tillamook cheddar cheese, butter and sometimes garlic. A
local chef now offers them at the end of the meal covered in white
chocolate!
Leucangium carthusiana (Oregon Black truffle): the best I have tried
after T. melanosporum, teriffically complex, with elements of teriyaki
beef jerky, pineapple, vinegar, dried morels, apple mash, coconut, and
others. The taste literally can change in your mouth, leaving you
begging for more!
Tuber murinum (Oregon Pallid truffle): more cheesy than Oregon White
truffle, but with more elements of a good wine, too.
Tuber californicum (California Black truffle): more dusky flavored,
woodsy, sometimes chocolate elements.
Tuber wheeleri (Wheeler's truffle): nearly untasted and rarely
collected: dried morels blended with mozzarella cheese and a hint of
garlic.
Tuber sphaerosporum: usually too small to take serioiusly, but
sometimes with strong garlic overtones.
Tuber lyonii: heady elements of green corn and nuts.
Because truffles form underground, they have developed strong aromas
which attract animals to dig and eat them. A truffle that is not eaten
doesn't get spread in nature. The spores pass through animals'
digestive tract, and are excreted some distance away. If near an
appropriate tree or shrub, there may be sufficient spores to start a
new truffle growing.
All known truffles are mycorrhizal fungi. Many truffles detoxify soil,
gather water and nutrients for their host trees/shrubs, and
dramatically increase biodiversity. At least 60 known species of
animals in the Pacific Northwest are known to eat truffles, based on
the spores found in their feces.
Daniel B. Wheeler
