As I predicted, there is no comprehensive answer to your question. However the article points out to the naturally occurring androstenone hormone in truffles as well as several odor-causing bacteria that have been proposed so far. Unsurprisingly, the authors mention the natural variety of odor sensitivity amongst humans.
As I anticipated, scientists are far from understanding all of the factors that contribute to the scent of truffles and how humans interpret them.
My guess is that the aroma of pretty much anything food item (e.g., cheese, wine, fruit) can be attributed to multiple factors and that Mother Nature's complexity doesn't make a simple works-everywhere explanation for everything, everywhere, everyone, always.
Anyhow, take it with a grain of salt, especially since the article misspells androstenone at least once.
Oh, it's worth pointing out that the BBC article came ten years after (2015) the aforementioned paywalled WSJ (2005). Clearly scientists have a better understanding of genetics today than sixteen years ago. After all, the human genome has been mapped since then.
It's worth trying different search engines with the same or similar search parameters if you are unsuccessful with one.
After all Google Search results are heavily influenced by Google AdWords (which makes up the bulk of Google's revenue). You know, when you search for "pizza" the results will include a bunch of pizzerias in your area, weighted to the businesses that paid to be high on in the rankings.
Although I don't have the same reaction as Carol, I don't particularly care for truffles. I LOVE mushrooms and I would have thought I would feel the same about truffles. Nope. Nothing I can pinpoint precisely, just can't see the fascination. Now foie gras.... that's a different story!
I love mushrooms too. My truffle reaction goes way beyond simple dislike into gross revulsion, even when it's in cheese, pate, other dishes I usually like, or as oil on some dishes. To me, there's a taste that I can compare only to the smell of an outhouse. Years ago, I read that some people have either an enzyme deficiency or abundance which causes this. Many hours of googling has failed to locate the article, which I may have been in the WSJ.
To me, they taste like sewage smells. It's not just that the flavor isn't pleasing - it's actually almost stomach-turning. There's a legit biologic/enzyme reason why cilantro is horrible to some people. i want tonknow if there's something similar re\: truffles.
I am not aware of any conclusive biochemical explanation of how some humans taste truffles differently than others. For sure, science has not progressed enough to the point where we know everything about how humans perceive their environment.
Moreover, truffles are a rare and extremely expensive food ingredient unlike cilantro. Only a tiny percentage of people on this planet taste truffles.
Perhaps during my lifetime some scientist will discover the pathways that determine how some people perceive truffles differently than others. My guess is that this is closely tied to genetics.
Carol...there are a few articles out there about how a certain percentage of people can't smell and/or taste some of the elements in truffles. Some looked good from headline but only available to subscribers. Have a look for others with fuller info.
12 Comments
The second hit points to this BBC science article:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20151125-why-do-truffles-taste-so-weird
As I predicted, there is no comprehensive answer to your question. However the article points out to the naturally occurring androstenone hormone in truffles as well as several odor-causing bacteria that have been proposed so far. Unsurprisingly, the authors mention the natural variety of odor sensitivity amongst humans.
As I anticipated, scientists are far from understanding all of the factors that contribute to the scent of truffles and how humans interpret them.
My guess is that the aroma of pretty much anything food item (e.g., cheese, wine, fruit) can be attributed to multiple factors and that Mother Nature's complexity doesn't make a simple works-everywhere explanation for everything, everywhere, everyone, always.
Anyhow, take it with a grain of salt, especially since the article misspells androstenone at least once.
It's worth trying different search engines with the same or similar search parameters if you are unsuccessful with one.
After all Google Search results are heavily influenced by Google AdWords (which makes up the bulk of Google's revenue). You know, when you search for "pizza" the results will include a bunch of pizzerias in your area, weighted to the businesses that paid to be high on in the rankings.
Same with Bing.
Moreover, truffles are a rare and extremely expensive food ingredient unlike cilantro. Only a tiny percentage of people on this planet taste truffles.
Perhaps during my lifetime some scientist will discover the pathways that determine how some people perceive truffles differently than others. My guess is that this is closely tied to genetics.