Thanks to Judy Ann Santos, truffle was brought to the consciousness of Pinoy showbiz fans.
Remember when her husband Ryan Agoncillo surprised her with a spontaneous trip to Hong Kong in 2016?
Part of that day tour was to look for black truffles—a species of truffle native to Southern Europe, and is one of the most expensive edible mushrooms in the world.
At the time, Judy Ann exclaimed, “Ang tagal-tagal ko nang gustong makakita. Yung black truffles na yun, seasonal lang siyang dumarating pala sa Hong Kong… Naiyak ako!”
Read: Judy Ann Santos recounts surprise Hong Kong trip with hubby Ryan Agoncillo
In 2018, the couple flew to Italy, and part of their itinerary was to scavenge the woods in Florence for truffles.
But why is Judy Ann obsessed with truffle?
In one of the vlogs she uploaded that same year, she said, “Meron lang naman siya naibibigay, it really depends, iba yung lasa ng white truffle sa black truffle.
“Malaking bagay talaga yung ikina-up o ikinasu-sosyal ng isang dish kapag gumamit ka ng truffle.
"Pero may pinipilian rin siyang mga ingredients, like, ang sarap niyang i-pair sa soft-boiled egg.
“Kung gaano kamahal ang truffle, e, sa mga simpleng recipes mo rin lang siya puwedeng gamitin o magagamit.
“O kung minsan, pang-enhance ng flavor ng gravy.
“It’s very fragrant, pinapasarap niya yung pagkain.”
So it was not actually surprising that her biggest online shopping splurge during the pandemic was truffle oil.
“Meron akong isang item na in-order. I think it was like truffle, truffle oil? Tapos pindot ako nang pintot ng ganon.
"Nagulat ako parang umabot na ng PHP50K yung bill ko, so tsinek ko. Feeling ko baka talagang mahal yung truffle oil. Actually, mahal naman talaga yung truffle oil.
“My god nung dumating sa akin, parang limang truffle oil ata yung napindot ko.”
Read: Judy Ann Santos accidentally spends PHP50K on one online purchase
Why is truffle oil expensive?
Truffles are expensive because they are hard to find .
They typically grow in forests or wooded areas, and they can be found by following the trails of animals—dogs, pigs, or deer—that like to eat them.
What should YOU know when buying truffle oil?
An article on marthastewart.com featured Chef Jason McKinney, CEO and co-founder of Truffle Shuffle, a company that teaches cooking classes and sells truffles and truffle products.
Here, he pointed out that one way to determine the quality of truffles is to see where it is being sold, as some stores will have stricter labeling regulations so you can avoid being duped by “synthetic truffle aroma.”
Robert Chang, managing director and chief truffle officer of the American Truffle Company, a company that helps to cultivate and sell truffles, expounded on the "synthetic truffle aroma."
The same article quoted him as saying, "Real truffles have over 300 flavor compounds that are impossible to replicate synthetically.
"What you're smelling in truffle oil doesn't have anything to do with actual truffles: You're likely getting a whiff of the chemical 2,4-dithiapentane, which only mimics one of the hundreds of compounds present in real truffles."
TRUFFLE OIL OPTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
A quick browse on the net will lead you to the following stores here in the Philippines:
Through Aroma Truffle & Co.
- The World’s Strongest Truffle oil 50ml: PHP438
- The World’s Strongest Truffle oil 250ml: PHP1,500.
The latter is presently sold out.
Website: AromaTruffle.ph
Through The Bow Tie Duck MANILA
- Urbani Tartufi Morra White Truffle Oil 250ml: PHP3,120
- Urbani Tartufi Black Truffle Oil 250ml: PHP2,315
Website: BowTieDuck.com
Truffle-flavored oil on Lazada
- Mazza Black Truffle in Extra Virgin Olive Oil 250ml: PHP734
- Mazza White Truffle in Extra Virgin Olive Oil 250ml: PHP780
- Molinera White Truffle in Sunflower Oil 250ml: PHP573
- Molinera White Truffle in Olive Oil 250ml: PHP756
But a word of caution about the oil.
Chef Jason McKinney told marthastewart.com, "We've never done a truffle oil because it's very difficult to get the flavor into oil. Producers use a chemical that has a synthetic aroma and just a drop of real truffle.”
He recommended truffle salt, which has longer shelf life of 18 months.
He also mentioned “truffle carpaccio,” which are slices of real truffles preserved in a jar.
An unopened jar of truffle carpaccio can last one year. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within 7 to 14 days.