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> If they enjoy this truffle oil made from gasoline, why not eat it The article does say that, but makes the (valid) point that it's not okay to sell it preten

> If they enjoy this truffle oil made from gasoline, why not eat it The article does say that, but makes the (valid) point that it's not okay to sell it pretending that it's "the real stuff" with a corresponding price tag. What I'm curious about is that the author seems to suggest these artificial flavouring are unhealthy ("causing long-term damage to [...] your stomach and palate") but doesn't say why.

permo-w 4y ago
the author also says that the chemical is actually found in truffles
- newsclues 4y ago
  If you ask for a glass of water and a waiter gives you a glass of urine, do you smile and drink it because urine also has H2O in it and therefore has the same chemical found in water?
  - Biganon 4y ago
    That's literally the OPPOSITE of what's happening with truffles, though.
  - hgsgm 4y ago
  - permo-w 4y ago
    how is this relevant?
- tharkun__ 4y ago
  This is literally how all "natural flavor" works. They analyze the real thing for what makes it smell or taste like it does. Then they take one or a few major molecules that make up the taste and that are easy to derive cheaply from something else and use it for flavoring stuff. The real thing probably had a hundred different things make up its smell and taste. Bonus points if it can be derived from something that allows them to label it as "natural". Lots of natural flavor is produced by molds/funghi actually that have been modified to produce the molecules needed. Example: https://cen.acs.org/food/food-science/Edible-fungus-yields-new-pineapple/98/web/2020/02 https://cen.acs.org/food/food-science/Edible-fungus-yields-n... Case in point I just recently read here on HN I believe that banana flavored stuff still tastes like the old bananas that we can no longer buy because that variety is no longer possible to grow. The molecules they extracted from that aren't in the bananas variety we can currently buy. Anecdote: we did this in our high school chemistry class w/ pineapple flavour, i.e. we created artificial pineapple flavouring right there in class. It was very strong and not as complex as a real pineapple, but identifiable.
  - riffraff 4y ago
    > like the old bananas that we can no longer buy because that variety is no longer possible to grow. that would be the Gros Michel. It is a common misconception that it no longer exists, but you can you actually still buy it (and grow it), you will find many results in google. It's just been replaced in the mass market.
    - tharkun__ 4y ago
      Thanks! In case anyone else is interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Michel_banana#Early_popularity_and_decline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Michel_banana#Early_popul... So I should have written: that you can no longer buy in the supermarket down the street :)
      - permo-w 4y ago
        TLDR: it was made economically unsustainable to grow because of something called Panama Disease, which Gros Michel is susceptible to, where modern bananas are not
    - Nursie 4y ago
      It’s on my list to try one day, and see if it’s as good as the hype. It’s one of my life’s entertaining side-missions to try as many types as possible, ever since I found out that “the (cavendish) banana” is not the end of the story. I’ve ticked off Cavendish (of course), dwarf cavendish, lady finger, apple banana, Pisang Awak, red Dacca, Fe’i and various plantains so far. Many more to go!
  - headsoup 4y ago
    Hence we have https://www.jellybelly.com/jelly-belly-bean-recipes https://www.jellybelly.com/jelly-belly-bean-recipes I certainly would laugh if I went into a restaurant and on top of my 'truffle-infused' Lamb Ragù was a gently placed Truffle Jellybean.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  The chemical used for artificial vanilla is found in real vanilla, but the artificial and real vanilla are rather different from each other. I can roll with either, but if I'm paying real vanilla prices for vanillin, I've been ripped off.

permo-w 4y ago

the author also says that the chemical is actually found in truffles

newsclues 4y ago
If you ask for a glass of water and a waiter gives you a glass of urine, do you smile and drink it because urine also has H2O in it and therefore has the same chemical found in water?
- Biganon 4y ago
  That's literally the OPPOSITE of what's happening with truffles, though.
- hgsgm 4y ago
- permo-w 4y ago
  how is this relevant?
tharkun__ 4y ago
This is literally how all "natural flavor" works. They analyze the real thing for what makes it smell or taste like it does. Then they take one or a few major molecules that make up the taste and that are easy to derive cheaply from something else and use it for flavoring stuff. The real thing probably had a hundred different things make up its smell and taste. Bonus points if it can be derived from something that allows them to label it as "natural". Lots of natural flavor is produced by molds/funghi actually that have been modified to produce the molecules needed. Example: https://cen.acs.org/food/food-science/Edible-fungus-yields-new-pineapple/98/web/2020/02 https://cen.acs.org/food/food-science/Edible-fungus-yields-n... Case in point I just recently read here on HN I believe that banana flavored stuff still tastes like the old bananas that we can no longer buy because that variety is no longer possible to grow. The molecules they extracted from that aren't in the bananas variety we can currently buy. Anecdote: we did this in our high school chemistry class w/ pineapple flavour, i.e. we created artificial pineapple flavouring right there in class. It was very strong and not as complex as a real pineapple, but identifiable.
- riffraff 4y ago
  > like the old bananas that we can no longer buy because that variety is no longer possible to grow. that would be the Gros Michel. It is a common misconception that it no longer exists, but you can you actually still buy it (and grow it), you will find many results in google. It's just been replaced in the mass market.
  - tharkun__ 4y ago
    Thanks! In case anyone else is interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Michel_banana#Early_popularity_and_decline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Michel_banana#Early_popul... So I should have written: that you can no longer buy in the supermarket down the street :)
    - permo-w 4y ago
      TLDR: it was made economically unsustainable to grow because of something called Panama Disease, which Gros Michel is susceptible to, where modern bananas are not
  - Nursie 4y ago
    It’s on my list to try one day, and see if it’s as good as the hype. It’s one of my life’s entertaining side-missions to try as many types as possible, ever since I found out that “the (cavendish) banana” is not the end of the story. I’ve ticked off Cavendish (of course), dwarf cavendish, lady finger, apple banana, Pisang Awak, red Dacca, Fe’i and various plantains so far. Many more to go!
- headsoup 4y ago
  Hence we have https://www.jellybelly.com/jelly-belly-bean-recipes https://www.jellybelly.com/jelly-belly-bean-recipes I certainly would laugh if I went into a restaurant and on top of my 'truffle-infused' Lamb Ragù was a gently placed Truffle Jellybean.
JohnFen 4y ago
The chemical used for artificial vanilla is found in real vanilla, but the artificial and real vanilla are rather different from each other. I can roll with either, but if I'm paying real vanilla prices for vanillin, I've been ripped off.