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Ping: OregonYeti (or others) have you ever tried Oregon truffles?

1K views 17 replies 8 participants last post by  gonefishin 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has tried Oregon truffle. I have been wondering how they are and if their availability is any better (and if the price is any better too).

I've tried those black truffles that you find in a jar with water and thought they were a waste of money with little of what a fresh truffle delivers.

thanks,
dan
 
#5 ·
I have used domestic truffles from both Oregon and Washington and like any truffle some are extremely pungent and some are a bit milder. As far as price I think they were roughly the same price as an imported, maybe a few $$ more but it was the fact that I was able to call out a domestic product that was the attraction for me in my menu description.
 
#6 ·
Here's an interesting bit I found at the web site "Wild About Mushrooms / The Cookbook of the Mycological Society of San Francisco"
_______

"Gaining in popularity and comparing favorably with the Italian truffle, the Oregon truffle is harvested in sufficient quantity to support commercial sales. Although the Oregon truffle industry is in its infancy, it commands as much as $150 per pound for its truffles. James Beard claimed that the mature Oregon white truffle could be substituted for European varieties."
 
#7 ·
I don't know where you get Oregon truffles are more expensive than European.

A pound of fresh, best quality Oregon black truffles is about $215/lb (you have to wash and brush yourself) over the net. I called a couple of caviar supplier (that's who sells truffles) in SoCal and priced fresh French and Italian black truffles at anywhere between $600 - $1,200. The price differences seemed to depend on a lot of factors -- mostly rationalization and whining. The $600 guy was very firm in his price, while a guy who opened at $925 crumbled to $575 when I asked for an Southern California Auto Club discount. They must be sitting on a lot of truffles because the joke wasn't all that funny. At a guess, the low price was around cost plus 20% which is pretty fair.

In smaller quantities, say 3 oz, Oregon truffles, black or white, are about half the price of the Euros. Chinese blacks are about 10% to 20% cheaper than the Oregons -- but they're really inferior.

Just in case you didn't have enough to worry about -- some dealers will sell you Chinese blacks as French or Italian. Know your truffle, know your dealer. Shir shir.

If you really like truffles, you should try huitlacoche, aka Mexican corn truffles. They're not exactly like truffles, but they have enough in common to make a really interesting substitution -- and they're cheap enough to use now and then in things like scrambled eggs.

When you use truffles, the general rule is: Remember! It's all about the truffle. In other words, plan to push the truffle flavor and aroma front and center and use everything else on the plate in a supporting role. But that's general -- not hard and fast. I've successfully (IMO) used truffles far enough in the background that diners aren't aware at first that their brisket was injected with a truffled infusion before barbecuing (low and slow/oak).

BDL
 
#8 ·
BDL, wild Oregon and Washington White Truffles were more expensive when I was purchasing them, not off the net but from distributors. I was buying high quality domestics for somewhere in the range of $500-$600/lb from what I remember. Since they are now being cultivated in several locations across the country they may be cheaper but a few years ago they weren't and they were much harder to come by.

As for huitlacoche, while I am a huge fan of it and I wouldnt substitute it for a truffle I would enjoy like I would a truffle. It has a wonderful sweet, rich, earthy flavor that shouldnt be confused with anything else, while a truffle has a very heady nose huitlacoche is much milder in aroma and much heavier in flavor. It is a delicacy in its own right and should be appreciated as such.
 
#9 ·
Chef How,

If memory serves, American truffles are moving up in price compared to Europeans. The price difference used to be something like 10 to 1, and is now about 3 or 2 to 1 -- no doubt a product of the market expanding. My point is that whomever you bought your Northwest truffles from robbed you blind. Nearly everyone -- including your supplier probably buys from "Trufflezone," and you should too. If you're interested in fresh black truffles the season is winding up and supplies are dwindling -- order now.

I never said huitlacoche were identical to truffles. However they can be used for many of the same things like omelets, stuffing poultry between skin and breast, flavoring pates, risotto, etc. I really like the way you distinguished huitlacoche from tuber truffles in terms of aroma and flavor -- you're right on. Another difference is that huitlacoche has an underlying sweetness. While another similarity is that huitlacoche was also born to play a starring role.

BDL
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the input everyone :D

Yeti...you should keep your eyes open for the truffle festival next year. I'll keep my eyes open for some fresh Oregon truffles. But in the mean time maybe I'll find some corn smut to try this summer. I just wish these things weren't so expensive:(

edit add: BDL, thanks for the link. I won't be able to buy any truffles right now. But I'll be certain to get some next year. In the mean time I did put an order in for some truffle crumbs)

thanks all,
dan
 
#12 ·
Well...

Unfortunately I'm still waiting on my order of black truffle powder. I placed the order on April 10th, 2009, but haven't received anything yet. I sent an inquiry (via google checkout) to Trufflezone on May 8, 2009 with no reply back. Today, May19th, 2009 I placed a phone call to Trufflezone and left a message on their answering machine. We'll see if this gets any results???


dan
 
#18 ·
Since this time I've sent them another couple of e-mails and phone calls, which resulted into messages being left. I never got a response from TruffleZone which led me to start the arbitration process with Goggle Checkout.

They also had no luck in getting a response from TruffleZone. Google Checkout has been great! The result was a canceled order and no charge to my credit card, thanks to Google Checkout.

What a disappointment!
dan
 
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