Truffles offer culinary sophistication to any meal, but many of us don’t have the budget to purchase an ounce of fresh truffles. Thankfully, there are several alternatives that can provide a gourmet truffle flavor without the hefty expenses. Truffle butter and truffle oil are two popular items used for achieving a truffle taste and scent in food. When selecting these ingredients, though, one must determine if what is being purchased is authentic.

What is Truffle Oil?
The surge in high-end culinary shows and gourmet chefs has motivated home-cooks to be more daring in their cooking, taking a liking to truffle oil. Truffles were once only accessible to luxury restaurants and experienced chefs; however, now everyone can enjoy these exquisite flavors in the comfort of their own homes. Different companies have brought a plethora of truffle oils into supermarket stores specially crafted for this purpose. Truffle oil is practically olive oil that has been steeped with extract from truffles or other flavors. Other oils like grapeseed, canola or other types are used too because they have a very neutral taste. Some producers — unfortunately most of them found in supermarkets — exploit artificial chemicals such as 2,4 dithiapentane which gives off the characteristic aroma of real truffles but cannot match its complexity and substantial qualities of authentic black diamonds.

When looking to purchase truffle oil, consumers should always read the label carefully. The presence of supplementary descriptors such as “truffle flavor” or “truffle aroma” indicates that synthetic flavoring is used, rather than authentic truffle extracts. True truffle oils contain only high-quality truffles – generally only certain species like white Alba or black Périgord – and thus should have “truffles” listed on its own communally on the ingredients list. Products which fail to attain this standard are likely not made with true truffle extracts.

What is Truffle Butter?
Truffle butter is a luxurious dairy-based product created from cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk. Real truffle pieces provide robust aromas and flavors that cannot be achieved with synthetic ingredients. In order to acquire an authentic truffle experience, only products made with genuine black and white truffles should be chosen. These types of truffle butters are available for purchase in grocery stores or online outlets like TART-UFO. Truffle produced from oil or fragrances are generally cheaper; however, they cannot match the complexity of a natural product. It is important to thoroughly read all ingredients before committing to a particular brand to ensure that your money goes towards a quality item that will truly satisfy the craving for real truffles.

You can use truffle butter in a wide range of recipes. From pasta and pizzas to burgers and eggs on toast, add unique flavors to any of your favorite dishes you already enjoy or try something new in the kitchenB