“Truffle oil” is written on many bottles — but what’s inside isn’t always the same. The difference is no secret; it is in the ingredients list. You just need to know what to look for.
What most truffle oils contain
By far the majority of truffle oils on the market are not made with fresh truffle but with truffle flavouring in a neutral oil, usually olive oil. The reason is simple: the aroma of fresh truffle is volatile. If you put a tuber in oil, it releases part of its scent but also loses it again quickly — after a few weeks the oil barely tastes of truffle, and the tuber has been used up in the process.
Truffle flavouring solves this problem: it is stable, goes a long way and keeps for months. That is why almost all producers use it — including those that simply write “Tartufo” on the label.
Does that make flavouring worse?
Not as such — it is something different. An oil with flavouring tastes more intense and more consistent, a few drops are enough for a whole dish, and it is considerably cheaper. But if you are looking for the fine, complex notes of a fresh tuber, you won’t find them there. For that there is only one way: fresh truffle, freshly shaved.
It only becomes a problem when a product gives the impression that it contains fresh truffle when it actually contains flavouring. That is why we state what is in every product.
How to tell
The ingredients list is the only reliable place. Three cases:
- “Flavouring” or “truffle flavouring” — the oil is flavoured. It does not have to contain any truffle at all.
- A truffle species with a percentage, for example “summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) 1%” — it contains real truffle, usually in a small amount and often in addition to flavouring.
- Only olive oil and truffle, no flavouring — rare, expensive, and the aroma fades over time.
The product name, on the other hand, tells you little: “Tartufo”, “al tartufo” or a picture of a truffle on the label say nothing about the contents.
White or black
White truffle flavouring is more intense and penetrating, with the garlicky, slightly honey-sweet notes of the Alba truffle. It is not heated and goes well with pasta, risotto and egg dishes.
Black truffle flavouring is earthier and rounder. It tolerates heat better and suits sauces, meat dishes and potatoes.
How much, and when
Start sparingly. You can always add more flavouring, but you can’t take it out — an over-flavoured dish quickly tastes perfumed and is hard to rescue. And always add it at the end, after cooking: heat drives off the aroma compounds.
What we stock
Our truffle oil is an extra virgin olive oil with truffle flavouring — meant for finishing, not for frying. We also stock truffle flavourings in white and black, classic and natural, as well as sauces, creams and salts. What a product contains is shown in the ingredients list on each product page.
And if it has to be the tuber itself: fresh truffle by season, from 10 g. Which variety is available when is shown in our seasonal calendar; how much you need per person is explained in Shaving truffles.