A few years ago, white truffle salt was unheard of. All truffle salts were. Nowadays? Waltz into your local store, and you may find a bottle or two of the stuff. But, what is white truffle sea salt?
White truffle salt is salt, normally sea salt, with white truffle flakes mixed in. The flavor profile is white truffles (a very mild, earthy flavor) mixed with salt. It is often used as a finishing salt, rather than a cooking salt.
On this page, we want to let you know more about what white truffle sea salt is. We also want to give you an idea of how it can change up your dishes, as well as the more common uses for the product.
It is a salt blend made from flakes of shaved, dried white truffles and sea salt. The primary ingredient will be sea salt, although the most prominent flavors will come from the truffles, with a hint of saltiness.
White truffle sea salt is often made from truffles found in Italy. Although, do bear in mind that not all products use natural truffle flavoring. Check the product packaging to know whether they are using the real thing or a synthetic taste.
You can use it to enhance all sorts of dishes, although it works best as a finishing seasoning for savory dishes, including pasta, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, fish, and more.
Taste of White Truffle Salt
This varies depending on the type of white truffle you have. Most white truffles have an earthy, musky profile. There may even be a hint of garlic.
It has the hint of truffle, just a bit saltier. The saltiness may even help to enhance the earthy, garlicky elements. This is because salt is known for making our tastebuds much more receptive to other flavors.
The smell of white truffle is very earthy. Some have even described the scent as being very similar to that of garlic, or even musky
It can be used to enhance a meal. It tastes almost like using fresh truffles. It adds a touch of luxury, or class, to any recipes you add it to. It can push a delicious recipe into the realm of an amazing recipe.
Why Is Truffle Salt Expensive?
Truffles can be found all over Italy, France, and other places in Europe. The problem is that they are very rare. While they can be farmed, they can rarely be farmed in a quantity that will keep the market well-stocked, and they are certainly not farmed all over the world. This means that it will often need to be imported.
Because they are so rare, the cost of buying them fresh can be incredibly high. In fact, fresh often goes for $4,000+ per pound, depending on the season’s harvest. This is partly due to the rarity, and also the cost of having to import from Italy. You also have to remember that there are a lot of customers, especially gourmet restaurants, that crave them for their recipes. It pushes the price up further.
Thankfully, it is still cheaper than buying fresh. You get roughly the same flavors for your food too. Not exact, but the vast majority of people will be satisfied with it.
Uses For White Truffle Salt
It should only be used as a way to add a finishing touch to a meal. Once the food is cooked and plated, you can add a pinch on top of it. It tastes delicious.
It is important that you do not heat white truffles for too long. They are very delicate. If you heat them up, even for a short period of time, you will end up just with saltiness. You would have wasted your money.
You can add it to pretty much any savory food. Feel free to create your own recipes. We find that it works best with warm meals that feature the following:
Pasta, especially those recipes that originate in Italy
Fish
Do bear in mind that whatever foods you add it to, you will get a slightly garlicky taste. So, if you are not a fan of that, give it a skip.
If you want to get a real feel for how great it can be, we suggest that you try adding it on top of pasta cooked in a garlicky sauce. We love it when combined with potatoes, especially those with garlic in them. It will really help to bring out the flavors, and it can help make a standard dish into one fit for a special occasion.
If you want to experiment, you will find that while you can add it to all sorts of recipes, it always works best for recipes originating from anywhere in the world where truffles are farmed (mostly in Europe).
How Long to Heat Truffle Salt
Preferably, you shouldn’t be cooking it at all.
As we said, adding heat to it will quickly destroy the flavors. You will be left with nothing but saltiness.
That being said, you may be able to get away with cooking it for a minute or two without too many issues. So, if you want to add it to your cooking rather than use it at the end, then add it near the end of the process. It should be fine. Just have a slightly milder earthiness.
Substitute Salt For Truffle Salt
You can’t use it as a replacement for salt when you are cooking a recipe. So, if the recipe calls for you to add a pinch of salt while you are cooking, then use that. Don’t use anything else.
If you have a dish that you would normally sprinkle salt over when you have finished cooking (e.g. fries, scrambled egg, etc.) then it is absolutely fine to use this as a replacement. It can work incredibly well.
Obviously, there are limitations here. It does have a very unique kick to it, so you may need to experiment to see if it works for you when you are trying to create great recipes. You never know until you try!
Does White Truffle Salt Expire?
Normally salt doesn’t expire. It can be stored for years without issues. However, when you add dried truffles into the mix, you need to consume it within two years.
It won’t technically expire. However, after a couple of years, you won’t be able to detect the flavors. You will just have saltiness. No hint of that earthy, garlicky goodness at all.
You will know that it has expired if you sniff the jar and the earthy scent has disappeared. It will be useless. You can still use it to add saltiness to your meals, but that’s about it.
How To Make Truffle Salt
There are two methods that you can use.
For Strong Flavors
Shave a dried truffle into salt, and mix it up. You only need to use a little.
For Milder Flavors
Add a dried truffle into a sealed jar of salt and let it absorb the flavors.
We prefer the first method. It results in a more prominent profile, and it will be ready to use right away. The second method will give a slightly lighter hint of truffle, and you may have to wait several months before there is anything but saltiness there.
Remember, it is probably cheaper to buy than it is to make your own. If you make your own, you need to buy a fresh truffle, and that is very expensive.
Where To Buy Truffle Salt
Many major stores have started to stock it. If your local store doesn’t have it, then you can try and track down gourmet food places in your local area. If a store keeps a lot of other spices, then chances are they will have it for sale.
Purchasing Online
If you can’t find it in your local area (it may be tough outside major towns and cities), then you should have no issues purchasing it online. Do bear in mind that it may be harder to source out of season (September to December). You can buy in pretty much every country in the world.
Final Thoughts
White truffle sea salt is a great way to add flair to your savory meals. You can use it as a finishing touch for everything from pasta to pizza. Make sure that you do not cook with it, though. If you do, then you will only get a hint of saltiness, none of the earthy taste that it is often known for.
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