Black truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products. That's what makes it possible to pick up a bottle of "truffle oil" in your supermarket of choice.
Truffle oil most often contains no actual truffle. Instead, most uses a product like 2,4-dithiapentane which mimics the aromatics of truffle. Most if not all chefs hate truffle oil with an unholy passion.
You probably mean vanillin to vanilla (where its extract is the real deal, just a processed bean)?
Sometimes an 'essence' vs. 'extract' distinction is made, but double-checking that prior to commenting it seems that's not reliable, they're also sometimes considered synonyms.
Vanillin is no substitute for actual vanilla. At least in cream for custard or something - things where it's best used anyway - maybe if the thing already tastes 'flavoured' (I sort of know what I mean by that, but have no idea how to write it.. I realise it sounds silly) then there's no difference, like a sponge cake for example.
Synthetic vanillin is fine for baked/heated goods because the differentiators present in actual vanilla extract are overwhelmingly volatile compounds that evaporate in the first few minutes of baking. By the time you pull the goods out of the oven, the result is nearly chemically indistinguishable. This is why many no-bake custard recipes specify that the vanilla should be added only as one of the last few steps, after all heating is completed.
Yeah - don’t buy truffle oil unless you can actually see truffle shavings in the oil itself. Truffles are so aromatic, that just a sliver can infuse a small bottle.
I am extremely suspicious of industrial products with chunks of stuff in them.
If these shavings are real truffles, they are most likely low grade ones with little aroma, the bulk of the flavor being artificial. It is essentially the same as the "plain" product with chunks added to make it look more authentic. Read the label. In most countries, labels are regulated, chunks of stuff are not (except for food safety).
> Truffles are so aromatic, that just a sliver can infuse a small bottle.
I don't know if I've only had low quality truffles, but basically all the truffles I've had in my life have been very mild and wouldn't be able to flavor a small bottle of oil.
>Black truffles are already commodified in a sense that the main aroma compound has been isolated, is very cheap to synthesize [1] and it's used extensively in "truffle-flavoured" products.
Just made some truffle-oil infused smoked mac-n-cheese.
> While more than 90% of black, highly prized Périgord truffles sold are cultivated, previous attempts to farm their rarer white cousins have failed.
I don't eat truffles myself (too strong a taste for me), but I wouldn't surprise me if most people don't realize they get the cultivated variety already.
Saffron is already commoditized. It is shelf stable and, while it is very expensive by weight, very little weight is needed to flavor a dish. You can get it at most American supermarkets and cook with it.
The reason saffron is exotic (for Americans) is because Iran produces 90+% of it, and the US government wants to punish the Iranian government with trade sanctions.
Are you trying to bolstering the parent commenter's claim or trying to refute it? Iran does produce over 90% of the world's supply of saffron and we have sanctions against them, which obviously makes it hard for them to compete on the export front.
Caviar has been farm raised for a while now. Almost all the stuff on the market is farm raised. I have a tin of farm-raised Canadian sturgeon caviar in my fridge right now...
They even have techniques to extract the eggs without killing the fish.
Not killing the fish is an obvious way to increase the farm's yield so I imagine most producers are interested in it. Sturgeon meat isn't particularly demanded either...
I'd like to try it some time. Here's an Azerbaijani man with a 16 minute YouTube video, no words, carving up a sturgeon, roasting it, and feeding his family. 22 MILLION views.
There's around 2000 sturgeon farms in the world, literally what this thread is about... It's still not demanded. The farm I get caviar from basically gives away smoked sturgeon...
and sturgeon caviar has been in abundance periodically, used no different than ketchup
its really a great example of how people assign importance to things based on their price or scarcity, and that has nothing to do with anything related to the uniqueness or peculiarity of taste
Sort of goes hand in hand though? If something's less attainable, it becomes more unique and peculiar, only natural to crave it or treat it as something special.
sort of, I respect supply and demand more than most, I am recognizing that its not currently due to current insatiable demand created by its taste but only constrained supply due to prior demand and likely supply mismanagement.
