Truffles are delicious and very expensive mushrooms, especially popular in France and used in the traditional cuisine of this country. Not everyone knows that truffle oil exists. Is it useful? And how to choose it?
What is this product?
Truffle oil is a noble and rather expensive product, if, of course, it is natural. But, unfortunately, it is very difficult to find truly high-quality products, since unscrupulous manufacturers deceive consumers and add aromatic additives to ordinary vegetable oils that have the characteristic smell of delicious mushrooms. A genuine product may contain a small percentage of real truffle oil or be infused with them (or processing residues). One way or another, the share of mushrooms themselves in the composition is negligible.
If you think that you can taste the taste of truffles in oil, you are very mistaken. Even if the composition contains these mushrooms, they certainly will not fully convey their qualities. The only thing you can count on is a pleasant light earthy aroma.
Is truffle oil healthy?
Since there are very few truffles themselves and their components in the composition, the benefits of the vegetable oil itself are more accessible.
Useful properties of truffle oil:
- It is rich in vitamin E, and it is, first of all, a powerful natural antioxidant. This means that tocopherol neutralizes the adverse effects of free radicals, which can lead to cell degeneration and the development of cancer, as well as premature aging of tissues and their oxidation.
- The vitamin E described above is also very beneficial for the skin, because it provides it with complete nutrition and intense hydration.
- It also contains B vitamins, which perform many important functions. Thus, they take part in most metabolic processes occurring in the body, such as lipid, water-salt, water-electrolyte, carbohydrate and others. And this means that by consuming oil in moderation, you can normalize your overall metabolism.
- B vitamins are necessary to stabilize and improve the functioning of the nervous system, as they promote the restoration of nerve fibers and cells, improve sleep, and prevent the negative effects of stress.
- Truffle oil is useful to use during pregnancy and at the planning stage, as it ensures the harmonious development of the unborn child and significantly reduces the risks of developing fetal pathologies, such as disorders of the formation of the neural tube.
- The same vitamin E will help put hormonal levels in order, especially women’s. In addition, it has a positive effect on fertility, that is, it increases the chances of successfully conceiving and bearing a healthy child.
- If you use this oil in cosmetology, it will help provide nutrition and hydration to the skin, as well as stimulate the synthesis of elastin and collagen, restoring elasticity, youth and freshness.
Advice: do not consume oil in excessive quantities, and not only because of its high cost. Remember that the calorie content of 100 grams of the product reaches 700-800 calories, so it definitely cannot be called dietary and light.
How to use this product?
How to use truffle oil? First of all, it is used in cooking. But it’s worth remembering that natural truffles lose most of their amazing properties during heat treatment, so you definitely shouldn’t fry them in this oil.
To complement and transform a dish with this delicious addition, add it at the final stages of cooking or almost before serving. Try experimenting with meat, fish, side dishes, pasta, appetizers. Truffle oil also makes an excellent dressing for any salad.
Truffle oil can also be used in cosmetology. For example, try replacing regular vegetable oil with it when preparing various masks. It will also be a useful addition to a cream or other product. Or you can apply it to the skin in its pure form, this is also very useful. And this oil is almost universal, as it has a positive effect on the skin of the hands, face and whole body, and on the hair, and even on the nails.
How to make your own butter?
You can make your own truffle oil. Here's what you'll need for this:
- 500-600 ml of vegetable oil (preferably olive);
- a tablespoon of truffles (both fresh and canned are suitable).
Preparation:
- If you have a fresh truffle, you should wipe it with a napkin to remove dirt. Next, cut it into thin slices. Simply chop the canned truffle finely with a knife.
- Prepare a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Place the chopped truffle in it and fill it with oil.
- Close the container tightly and put it in a cool and preferably dark place.
- Leave the oil for a week, or better yet, two. Strain it if desired, but this is not necessary.
- Ready!
- With the help of truffle oil, you can change, supplement and transform almost any recipe: any dish with such an additive will acquire an exquisite, pleasant aroma and a light, interesting taste.
- If you want to choose natural oil, then pay attention to the bottom of the bottle, which may contain sediment or pieces of truffles.
- Study the composition carefully. If it contains truffles or truffle oil, this is a natural product.
If you get a chance to try truffle oil, you will be able to appreciate its aroma and interesting taste.
Thanks to their exquisite taste with light notes of nuts, truffles have long been considered a valuable delicacy. But not every housewife has the financial ability to add this ingredient to her dishes in large quantities. Truffle oil can come to the rescue in such cases, so it is worth considering the characteristics and features of use of this product, as well as its beneficial properties and reviews of housewives.
What it is?
Unlike most edible oils available on the market (sunflower, olive, flaxseed, etc.), truffle (or truffle) oil is not made by pressing truffles. In fact, it is a regular vegetable oil (most often olive, although sometimes there is also an option based on sunflower, rapeseed and even grape seed oil), which has an aroma and taste characteristic of truffle.
According to legend, the first idea to pour truffles with olive oil was one of the French chefs, who was trying to find a way to preserve fresh mushrooms for as long as possible. After steeping the product for two weeks, he added it to one of his salads. Having appreciated the resulting noble taste, that cook began to purposefully make butter with the addition of pieces of valuable mushrooms, which allowed him to greatly diversify his signature dishes.
At the same time, the mushroom aroma from the oil evaporates relatively quickly, so it should be stored in a tightly sealed container and added to dishes right before serving.
Manufacturing
There are two ways to achieve saturation of the oil base with mushroom aroma:
- use natural pieces of truffles, filling them with oil;
- add artificial flavors specific to this product.
Due to the rarity and high cost of truffles, most industrially produced truffle oil is made artificially. Moreover, even the presence of pieces of mushrooms does not indicate natural origin - this ingredient is added to the product rather for beauty. In order for the oil base to be saturated with aromatic substances from the truffle, its volume fraction in the mixture must be at least 1/10, therefore This oil is not produced in large quantities and is not supplied to grocery chains. Both common varieties of truffles – white and black – are used as an aromatic base.
When producing a product based on artificial components, the characteristic taste and aroma is achieved by adding various substances contained in natural mushrooms to the base, which is almost always olive oil. The main one, which is part of all industrial types of truffle oil, is 2,4-Dithiapentane, which is also called “truffle sulfide”. In addition to it, the composition includes various esters, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones and androstenol characteristic of this mushroom.
The use of flavorings makes it possible to obtain in an artificial product the taste and smell characteristic of a natural product. But it is not always possible to convey subtle nuances of taste using chemicals, so real experts can almost always distinguish an artificial product from a natural one. And oil made from real mushrooms usually brings more benefits. The artificial product is an affordable alternative to expensive truffles, so thrifty housewives can sometimes add it to their dishes - it contains practically no harmful substances.
Homemade recipe
You can prepare this delicacy yourself using an oil base and natural truffles. The best ratio of these components, which allows you to achieve the most balanced taste and rich aroma, is from 1/5 to 1/4 of the mushrooms relative to the volume of oil.
The mushrooms need to be finely chopped or shredded, heated a little and mixed with the base. This can be done manually or in a blender. After this, the mixture must be poured into a glass vessel with a tightly closed lid and left in a dark, cool place for one to two weeks, then filtered. If you want to leave the mushroom pieces in the oil, you can do without filtering.
The finished product must be stored in the refrigerator, and the maximum shelf life of such oil is only 3 months.
Compound
According to the BJU formula, 100 grams of truffle product contains about 14 g of fat. The calorie content per 100 grams of product reaches values of about 120 kcal. Of course, the energy value and composition of oil from specific manufacturers varies and largely depends on what kind of vegetable oil was used as a base. Of the substances beneficial to the body, truffle oil contains vitamins B and E in noticeable quantities.
Benefit
Almost all fats and fatty acids that form the basis of the product are easily digestible. The vitamin E contained in the product is one of the strongest natural antioxidants, thanks to which the use of truffle oil reduces the risk of developing cancer and helps to slightly slow down the aging of the body. The same substance has a beneficial effect on the synthesis of collagen and elastogen in the body, so the condition of the skin, nails and hair improves in the person who uses this product.
The presence of B vitamins in the oil allows you to speed up metabolism, which helps remove harmful substances from the body, and also helps normalize the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The substances contained in truffle oil generally strengthen the nervous system, help fight the negative effects of stress and have a beneficial effect on sleep.
Consumption of the product by pregnant women can significantly reduce the chances of the fetus developing certain pathological conditions.
Harm
Regardless of the manufacturing method, not a single known industrial type of product contains overtly harmful substances. The only contraindication to its use may be individual intolerance to truffles or an oil base. However, you should not abuse the product, because it has a very high calorie content. Therefore, the average daily dose of this oil for an adult, healthy and physically active person should not exceed 50 grams.
Application
Heat treatment leads to the immediate disappearance of aroma even in natural truffle oil. Therefore, you need to add it to ready-made dishes. You can eat various salads, dishes made from meat, fish, seafood, beans or mushrooms with this oil. However, for most dishes for two or three people, one to two drops of oil is enough. It is not advisable to add a larger quantity, since the product has a pronounced taste and aroma, which can “clog” the main taste of the dish.
Unlike other vegetable oils, truffle oil is not produced by pressing. After all, there is no oil in truffles. To make truffle-scented oil, truffles must be soaked in oil that has no odor. What you will need:
- Refined sunflower or olive oil.
- White or black truffle (fresh).
- Glass container.
The volume of mushrooms should be at least 1/5 of the volume of oil, only then will the taste be truly rich.
Grind thoroughly washed and dried mushrooms into shavings, add to slightly heated oil, mix thoroughly. Pour into a glass jar or bottle and store in a cool, dark place for a week. When the oil acquires the desired truffle aroma, it must be filtered from mushroom shavings.
This homemade truffle oil should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 3 months.
What is truffle oil eaten with?
This valuable product is never subjected to heat treatment, because its aroma completely disappears when heated. Therefore, truffle oil is added only to a ready-made and slightly cooled dish, immediately before serving.
The dosage of this oil is measured not in spoons, but in drops.
There are quite a few recipes for dishes using truffle oil. It goes well with rice, egg, and pasta dishes. You can add it to mashed potatoes, salads, pizza, carpaccio, polenta, hot fish and meat dishes.
In any dish, the aroma of truffles should only emphasize the taste of the dish, but not “pull the blanket over itself.” Literally one extra drop can ruin everything. Therefore, you need to use oil very carefully.
The benefits and harms of truffle oil
Since the base of homemade truffle oil is ordinary vegetable, olive or sunflower oil, which is also refined, and it is consumed in drops, there is no need to talk about any special health benefits. So the main benefit of truffle oil is that it enriches dishes with a unique aroma.
Harm from this product can only occur in two cases: if a person has a food allergy to mushrooms and if the oil is made from false truffles, which are poisonous. They are quite common and difficult to distinguish from real ones, especially when ordering mushrooms online.
If the oil is prepared from high-quality raw materials and in accordance with technology, it is completely safe for health. Real truffle oil, even homemade, has a delicious aroma of mushrooms, earth, toasted nuts and allows you to add new shades of flavor to familiar dishes.
The video presents an interesting recipe for dressing using truffle oil.
Truffles are edible mushrooms that are considered valuable delicacies. They are distinguished by a spicy mushroom taste with nutty notes and a strong characteristic odor. Truffles are often used in the preparation of French cuisine. Real mushrooms are very expensive and are sold as a delicacy only in specialized stores and supermarkets. But few people know that, in addition to mushrooms, there is also truffle oil. We will tell you what it is, what its benefits are, where it is used and whether you can prepare it yourself in our article.
What is truffle oil?
Like the truffle itself, the oil prepared from it is an elite product, a real delicacy and is not much inferior in cost to fresh mushrooms. It can be prepared in two ways:
From natural truffles - by infusing any vegetable oil (usually high-quality olive oil) on natural truffles or residues after their processing.
Of the artificial components - in the production of this oil, the synthetic component 2,4-dithiapentane is used, which is the main aromatic component of truffles. This truffle oil has a fairly stable taste and aroma, like real mushrooms. Although in fact, natural truffles contain many more unique components that form a flavor and aromatic bouquet.
It is the second method of making oil that is widely used in industry.
Beneficial properties of truffle oil
Even in natural truffle oil, the percentage of mushrooms is so low that it will be quite difficult to sense their taste and aroma. All these qualities are revealed more during heat treatment and in combination with other products, helping to reimagine the taste of the finished dish in a new way. In addition, truffle oil has unique beneficial properties:
prevents the formation of cancer cells and prevents premature aging due to the content of vitamin E, which is a natural antioxidant;
Helps improve the condition of hair and skin, the production of collagen and elastin;
Accelerates metabolic processes in the body and increases metabolism due to the content of B vitamins;
Prevents the development of pathologies in the fetus, therefore the use of oil is recommended at the planning stage of pregnancy and in its early stages;
It has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, improves sleep, and prevents the negative effects of stress.
Uses of truffle oil
This oil will be an excellent addition to any dish. Its price is lower than that of natural mushrooms, which allows it to be used all year round. In addition, truffle oil has allowed chefs to significantly expand the list of dishes with the taste and aroma of truffle, without adding mushrooms to them. Oil is used sparingly. It is enough to add 1-2 drops to the dish so that it acquires a piquant smell. If you pour more, you can spoil its taste.
This oil is widely used in the preparation of pureed soups, pasta, risotto and pizza, dishes made from potatoes, legumes, meat and mushrooms. The ideal sauce for the salad is truffle oil, to which lemon juice, salt and black pepper are added to taste. It is recommended to add it to an already prepared dish, since it is not suitable for frying. Under the influence of high temperatures, its exquisite aroma is lost. In addition, using such expensive oil to fry meat or fish is quite expensive.
Homemade truffle oil recipe
To make your own aromatic and healthy oil, you will need only 2 ingredients: vegetable oil and truffle. Mushrooms are suitable both fresh and canned.
First you need to prepare a clean glass bottle with a tight lid. Then finely chop the truffle. If fresh mushroom is used, then it is pre-cleaned with a napkin. Sliced mushrooms are smoothed into the bottom of the bottle and cold-pressed olive oil is poured on top. In a transparent, dark place, olive truffle oil will infuse for 2 weeks, after which it can be used for its intended purpose, adding to various dishes. After infusion, it is recommended to store the bottle in the refrigerator.
Truffle oil: price in Russia 
As a rule, stores sell vegetable oil flavored with truffles or with pieces of mushrooms. The price per bottle depends on how it was prepared. The exception is made by unscrupulous manufacturers who indicate one information on the label, but the composition of the product is completely different.
So, the price of truffle oil in Moscow ranges from 260 rubles for a 125 ml bottle to 1000 rubles for a 250 ml container. In the first case, the manufacturer offers olive oil, which has been infused with the addition of black truffle. The content of the mushroom component in the oil is only 0.02%. The second option is olive oil with truffle pieces. It does not lend itself to heat treatment during cooking, so it retains maximum nutrients.
If you want to buy the most authentic and expensive truffle oil, be prepared to pay about 2,500 rubles for a 250 ml bottle. It will be difficult to find it in supermarkets, but in online stores the oil is sold in sufficient quantities.
Recipe for fried porcini mushrooms in truffle oil sauce
Fried porcini mushrooms in sauce can be served as a main dish with porridge, rice or pasta, or as a side dish for meat. In any case, it turns out tasty, satisfying and aromatic, and the dish takes literally half an hour to prepare. 
To begin with, porcini or other wild mushrooms are boiled for 15 minutes. Then they are cut into small pieces. Heat olive oil (50 ml) in a frying pan along with a sage branch and garlic slices (3 cloves). Once the garlic changes color, it can be removed from the oil, just like the sage sprig. Mushrooms are placed in aromatic oil and stewed with the addition of chicken broth (50 ml) until cooked. The finished dish is placed on a plate and truffle oil (2 teaspoons) is poured on top. Additionally, you can prepare any side dish or meat.
Hello dear gourmets! Let's talk about "haute" cuisine. It is considered elitist, so not everyone will like it. Let's talk about truffle oil, which is made from the most expensive mushrooms.
Packaging: glass bottle with screw cap. The product is elite, which is why the bottle is small, only 125 ml.
The oil is light yellow in color with a green tint. There is sediment at the bottom, this is the truffle. When choosing an oil, you need to pay attention to the sediment, this is an indicator of quality. The sediment is proof that the oil contains truffles.
The base is, of course, olive oil.
Its 94%, and truffle 1%.
Grated truffles in oil, in the form of shavings.
Now let's gourmet.
I’ll say right away that when I tried it for the first time, the taste seemed rather unpleasant. I tried it in a store in Italy, they just poured butter on a piece of bread. In a salad, the taste of oil reveals itself in a completely different way.
The aroma of truffle oil is quite strong and not everyone will like it. The truffle has a very bright taste. Therefore, you only need to add a few drops to a salad or other dish. In this case, there is no need to add salt to the salad; the oil will balance the taste. It is best to add oil to vegetable salad; you can also add it to pasta. For example, Spaghetti Genoa style (). The taste is not as strong as the smell.
Truffles are dug out of the ground, so the taste contains notes of “chernozem”. There is also a hint of garlic. The taste of the oil is unusual, but interesting and pleasant.
Truffle oil will transform even a simple vegetable salad, making it royally exquisite.
Also, lovers of unusual tastes will like:
Blueberry muffin in the form of a chocolate bar ().
Chocolate with sea salt and almonds ().