7 ms·
Puzzle of prized white truffle finally yields to science
- mertd 4y agoI wonder what foodstuff will take place of truffles as the rare "it" ingredient once truffles are commodotized.
- causi 4y agoHopefully we start commoditizing everything else, like saffron.
- elil17 4y agoSaffron is already commoditized. It is shelf stable and, while it is very expensive by weight, very little weight is needed to flavor a dish. You can get it at most American supermarkets and cook with it.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- dwater 4y agoThe reason saffron is exotic (for Americans) is because Iran produces 90+% of it, and the US government wants to punish the Iranian government with trade sanctions.
- shaky-carrousel 4y agoSpain is the largest saffron exporter: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1031584/global-leading-exporters-of-saffron-export-volume/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1031584/global-leading-e...
- adhesive_wombat 4y agoMaybe because of the sanctions on Iran mean that almost anyone else buying from them get immediately placed on a US blacklist.
- sushid 4y agoAre you trying to bolstering the parent commenter's claim or trying to refute it? Iran does produce over 90% of the world's supply of saffron and we have sanctions against them, which obviously makes it hard for them to compete on the export front. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1135621/leading-saffron-producers-worldwide/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1135621/leading-saffron-...
- vanderZwan 4y ago> While more than 90% of black, highly prized Périgord truffles sold are cultivated, previous attempts to farm their rarer white cousins have failed. I don't eat truffles myself (too strong a taste for me), but I wouldn't surprise me if most people don't realize they get the cultivated variety already.
- cptcobalt 4y agoMy fingers are crossed for caviar. I know it's an acquired taste for some, but damn, it's good.
- Mikeb85 4y agoCaviar has been farm raised for a while now. Almost all the stuff on the market is farm raised. I have a tin of farm-raised Canadian sturgeon caviar in my fridge right now... They even have techniques to extract the eggs without killing the fish.
- exhilaration 4y agoAny chance you can link to brands that "extract the eggs without killing the fish"?
- Mikeb85 4y agoNot sure about every brand (there's over 2000 caviar farms apparently) but a few I found: https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/ethical-caviar-farm-yorkshire https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/ethical-caviar-fa... https://californiacaviar.com/pages/our-story https://californiacaviar.com/pages/our-story https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/meet-frances-no-kill-caviar-producer https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/meet-frances-no-kil... Not killing the fish is an obvious way to increase the farm's yield so I imagine most producers are interested in it. Sturgeon meat isn't particularly demanded either...
- huhtenberg 4y agoBlack truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products. That's what makes it possible to pick up a bottle of "truffle oil" in your supermarket of choice. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-Dithiapentane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4-Dithiapentane
- safety1st 4y agoYep, that ship has sailed. Burger King in Singapore was selling a "Truffle Mayo Chicken Tendercrisp" a few years back, for heaven's sake.
- zionic 4y ago>Black truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products. Just made some truffle-oil infused smoked mac-n-cheese. Sometimes, capitalism is _delicious_.
- hristov 4y agoAnd those truffle flavored products taste terrible and are not at all comparable to the real thing.
- CPLX 4y agoNah, they're just different. And often quite good.
- s1artibartfast 4y agoChocolate ice cream and dog shit are comparable, just not favorably for the dog
- cbtacy 4y agoTruffle oil most often contains no actual truffle. Instead, most uses a product like 2,4-dithiapentane which mimics the aromatics of truffle. Most if not all chefs hate truffle oil with an unholy passion.
- gnrlst 4y agoThe advantage of this goes beyond price: most have to people go to Alba (Piemonte, Italy) every year for the Truffle fair for fresh white truffle because white truffle can't be stored for more than a week or two, so if you want it fresh, you have to go to the source, or get it air freighted, or taste it via inferior byproducts like "truffle cream" or truffle butter. If this democratizes location, it means more people will have access to the (much more tasty) white truffle closer to home. Less air deliveries, less travel, more truffle on eggs sunnyside up! (the traditional, recommended way to enjoy truffle in Alba)
- MarkMarine 4y agoIf you’d like to see what truffle hunting is like, I can’t recommend “The Truffle Hunters” a 2020 documentary enough. It’s beautifully shot and composed, it’s funny and sad and heart warming, and shows the life of 70-80 year old truffle hunters and their dogs in a way I never knew about or understood. After seeing the film, I don’t think cultivating these truffles will be a bad thing for everyone involved.
- blairbeckwith 4y agoThis is definitely my second favourite truffle documentary after 2021's Pig.
- MarkMarine 4y agoI haven't seen Pig, but I'll watch it, thanks!
- mjamil 4y agoNot: Pig is not a documentary; it’s a fictional drama starring Nic Cage.
- ethbr0 4y agoReally? It seemed reasonable to want a quiet retirement after a life spent as a famous chef, motorcycle stuntman, American archaeologist, screenwriter, WWII veteran, car thief, angel, felon, FBI agent and chemical weapons expert, infant kidnapper, Vietnam veteran, and burger specialist. Sometimes, people just want a little peace and solitude, you know?
- akrakesh 4y agoTo me, Pig is a food-themed John Wick satire.