truffle

Definition

Either an expensive fungus that grows underground and costs more per ounce than gold, hunted by specially trained pigs and dogs, or a luxurious chocolate confection that merely pretends to be expensive. Real truffles smell like earth and garlic had a baby; chocolate truffles just make you feel fancy. Both will empty your wallet, just at different scales.

Example Usage

The menu said 'truffle oil' but I'm 90% sure it was just olive oil that once stood near a truffle in a warehouse.

Source: Culinary terminology

Related Terms

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French for 'in a crust,' meaning wrapping food in pastry dough before baking. It's the culinary equivalent of wrapping a gift -- it makes everything look fancier and hides whatever questionable decisions are happening inside. Beef Wellington is the poster child.

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supremed

Citrus fruit segments cut free from all membranes and pith, resulting in jewel-like pieces of pure fruit that prove you have knife skills and possibly too much time. The tedious process that makes citrus salad $18 instead of $8.

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sachet d'épices

A bundle of aromatic herbs and spices tied in cheesecloth for flavoring stocks and sauces, designed to be easily removed. It's a bouquet garni's more organized cousin.

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turn

In service context, the number of times a table is seated during a shift. More turns equals more money, which is why servers get twitchy watching campers linger over dessert.

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soy

A fermented bean-based sauce that's been the backbone of East Asian cuisine for millennia, adding salty, savory depth to everything it touches. In modern Western culture, it's also shorthand for plant-based protein that makes vegans feel virtuous and confuses middle America. The sauce version (soy sauce/shoyu) is basically liquid umami that makes even cardboard taste good.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Advanced

nappe

The consistency where a sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off, creating that Instagram-worthy 'finger swipe test.' When your sauce has finally achieved peak cling.

🍳 Food / Culinary

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kaiseki

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