The Trouble with Truffles

Hmm . . . now that would have been a great Star Trek episode.

Truffles. Have you ever had one? Seen one? Smelled one? Tasted one? Well, until about five years ago, neither had I. The very thought of them -- being harvested from underground by pigs -- made my stomach churn.

Besides, they weren't exactly in the bin next to the button mushrooms at Metro. And I didn't frequent restaurants that served them. Even if I had, I wouldn't have paid the price for them.

But one day, at Jean-Talon market, I saw a bottle of huile des truffes -- truffle oil. It couldn't have been more than 100 ml. -- but it was $44! Insane, thought I, but I had a little extra cash that day so I bought the bottle.

I put it in the cupboard and forgot about it, until one night when I was doing filet mignons. I reached for the olive oil, getting ready to season the steaks, when there it was. I opened it and smelled it. And suddenly I knew that no one had been kidding. And why this bottle cost $44. And why I was going to put it on my jelly doughnuts, and peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, in my salsas, curries, dips, pizzas, my shampoo.


Yes, I had discovered truffles. Or had I?

Turns out the Truffle Story is more than a Trouble with Truffles episode of Star Trek. It's so complicated that I couldn't get a straight answer anywhere I looked.

I wondered how truffle oil was made. Some stories had it that the oil was put in a dark cold room, open to the air, below a large bag of truffles, and the truffle essence somehow "infused" itself into the oil. No, really. Even my culinary friend and expert Barry believed that. (I won't link to him because he'd be miffed.)

Then all sorts of stories started coming out -- most of them bad. I found out that my beloved oil, was, in all probability, a chemical. Or that it had Chinese truffles in it instead of French or Italian.

However, I can't give up on truffles. If they can make it taste like the oil I bought from the Oregon Truffle Oil company my wallet will continue to be light for a long time to come.