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Does Truffle Oil Have Actual Truffles In It? Here’s Why You Should Think Twice Before Ordering A Truffle Dish

Author and longevity coach, Kashif Khan, recently shared a reel on his Instagram handle (@kashkhanofficial) revealing why he doesn't order truffle fries or truffle mac and cheese at restaurants. Despite being a fan of the earthy aroma and flavour, Khan abstains from truffle oil-flavoured dishes.

by Sanjana Shenoy
Does Truffle Oil Have Actual Truffles In It? Here’s Why You Should Think Twice Before Ordering A Truffle Dish

In the world of fine dining, truffles have spread their aroma far and wide. The exotic underground mushroom variant has a deep, earthy flavour that instantly amps the umami touch in a dish. What adds to its allure is that it’s a rare and prized ingredient. More common than truffles is truffle oil, often drizzled on fries or perfumed in a pasta. Here’s the golden question: Does truffle oil have actual truffles in it? When you know the truth, you will think twice before ordering a truffle-flavoured dish again.

Truffle Oil Does Not Have Actual Truffles

Author and longevity coach, Kashif Khan, recently shared a reel on his Instagram handle (@kashkhanofficial) revealing why he doesn’t order truffle fries or truffle mac and cheese at restaurants. Despite being a fan of the earthy aroma and flavour, Khan abstains from truffle oil-flavoured dishes. In his reel, he explains that truffle oil drizzled on dishes at restaurants doesn’t contain any truffles.

 

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A post shared by Kashif Khan (@kashkhanofficial)

In fact, Kashif Khan explains that truffle oil is actually made from a chemical called 2,4-dithiapentane. The robust, earthy, fragrant oil with a distinct smell of truffle is actually created in a lab with formaldehyde and sulfur compounds. According to Kashif Khan, even top chefs across the world call truffle oil a scam as it has zero truffle content in it. Knowing the aroma doesn’t come from the actual exotic mushroom, but rather chemicals put together in a laboratory can be quite alarming.

Also Read:  Turn Leftover Rotis Into Cheesy Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas With This Fun Recipe

Longevity Coach Bursts Bubble That It’s Created In A Lab

The author of the bestselling novel, The DNA Way, explains that real truffles are actually delicate and rare. He described it to be “impossible to bottle without losing its essence”. So, he cites this as a reason why the truffle-flavoured oil is created artificially rather than using the actual ingredient. “You’re literally eating perfume with your food,” he said in his reel. So, Kashif Khan advised his fans and followers to skip ordering anything with truffle flavour unless it actually has truffle pieces.

Also Read: Hate Soggy Mushrooms? Try This Chef-Approved Hack To Cook Them To Perfection

Netizens Shocked By Revelation

The genetic technology expert informs foodies that truffle oil is nothing but a complex concoction of chemicals. Netizens found his reel very informative and even reflected on scenarios when they fell ill after having truffle fries. One person observed how actual truffles were so delicate that they didn’t even last two days in their fridge. Others agreed with Khan for calling truffle oil a scam.

Meanwhile, will you think twice before ordering dishes perfumed with this ingredient? Because we certainly will!

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ brebcaphotos ( Image used for representation)

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First Published: July 07, 2025 4:40 PM