I’m definitely interested too - perhaps chestnuts ? Let’s see what John has to say.
Love them but only eat them when I know it is the real stuff and not some fake dithiapentane
2,4-Dithiapentane is an organosulfur compound, the dimethyldithioacetal of formaldehyde. It is a colorless liquid with a strong odor. It is prepared by the acid-catalyzed addition of methyl mercaptan to formaldehyde. 2 CH₃SH + H₂C=O Wikipedia
Molar mass: 108.226 g/mol
Density: 1.06 g/cm³
Just in case someone besides me didn’t know and wanted to.
…and it is the main flavoring compound in truffle oils
Thank you! Do you know if i is part of what makes real black truffles or white truffles smell like truffles, or is it “artificial” ? Do you know if it is what is used in truffle salt? Mine has black bits in it, and I wonder if they are actual truffles.
Read the label. My Trader Joe’s truffle salt contains salt, “natural white truffle flavor” and “freeze dried summer truffles.” So the black bits you see are most likely truffles.
Okay thanks. My label is not legible, but the website at Whole Spice for Black Truffle Salt says “Ingredients: Sea Salt, Dried Truffle, Natural and Artificial Flavors.” And
“This unique gourmet salt is made with naturally dried Italian sea salt with finely ground black truffles. This is one of the premier flavored salts to add to your spice collection. This all-purpose seasoning turns ordinary dishes into something luxurious. The heady aroma of this sea salt will have you salivating in anticipation of the fine taste that you will savor forever. Use our Black Truffle Sea Salt as a rub on meats, poultry or fish. It will elevate the taste of salad & salad dressings, sauces, pasta, vegetable and egg dishes.”
White truffle salt says “White Truffle Sea Salt brings the musky aroma of the Italian White Alba truffle to hand-harvested Mediterranean sea salt. White truffles, from the countryside of northern Italy, are a rare and exceptional delicacy. This highly-prized ingredient is delicately blended with sea salt to bring rich, earthy flavor to your cooking. Use to season and lend a gourmet touch to hors d’oeuvres, risotto, cheese, salads, and vegetables.”
I’ll have to figure out which one I have.*
Sometimes there are chemical sounding names for “natural” ingredients so I wondered if someone knew.
*ETA I have black from January 2018.
Looks like your truffle salt has it all!
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It is similar to “natural vanilla extract” which is mainly vanillin or ethyl vanillin which are components of vanilla but only one of several hundreds (and so it is technically not wrong to write natural flavor even though they were not extracted out of vanilla but synthetically made (which also explains why such vanilla extracts are much less complex than the real stuff). Similar with dithiapentane which is part of the truffle flavor but only one of many hundred components - and so you truffle salt will have some black truffle bits but the main flavor will come from the “natural” flavor of dithiapentane.
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That makes sense! Thanks.
Surely, it is only your taste and decision. But I want to know, why you do not like caviar? There are so many benefits of eating it…
I don’t like the saltiness nor the crunch.
eta, I’ve read your attached article. Very convincing. If I could just handle the taste. I also don’t like any kind of oily fish. Besides not enjoying the flavors, they give me an instant acid attack.
Count me among those who don’t like caviar; even the tiny red stuff, I like neither the mouth feel nor the flavor. Plus it reminds me of what I saw in the dad’s & uncles tackle boxes. But in all honesty I have only ever had black lumpfish caviar, and indeed may love beluga or other high grade Russian or Iranian caviar. Not curious to find out either, for now can spend money on other stuff. Adding that although crab & lobster is beloved, but I don’t eat the roe sacks or green stuff.
No.
