The Truffle Aroma Wheel Professor Garry Lee Centre For Forensic Science Garry.Lee@uwa.edu.au +61402 342090
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Why do we like eating truffles? It s a nutrient container It s a flavour container It s a container for significance It s a container for emotions
Nutrients Protein Truffles contain 1g/100g Raw red meat contains 20 25 g/100g protein We need ~ 1g protein per kilogram body weight per day. Protein from truffles provides all essential amino acids (lysine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine) and has no limiting amino acids. Fat 32% Saturated fatty acids 23.8% Monosaturated fatty acids 43.1% Polyunsaturated fatty acids 42.6% Omega 6 fatty acids (0.2 g/100g) 0.3% Omega 3 fatty acids (<0.1g/100g) <0.1g/100g of trans fats compared to ~1.2 g/100g in lamb
Nutrients Carbohydrates Truffles contain 10g/100g Total Sugars 1.3g/100g Vitamins Thiamin 0.1 mg/100g (RDI: 1.1 1.2 mg/100g) Riboflavin (B2) 0.33mg/100g (RDI: 1.1 1.6 mg/100g) Niacin (B3) 2.4 mg/100g (RDI: 14 16 mg/100g)
Nutrients Trace Elements Calcium: 39 mg/100g (RDI: 1000 1300 mg/100g) Copper: 1 mg/100g (RDI: 1.2 1.7 mg/100g) Iron: 1.6 mg/100g (RDI: 8 18 mg/100g) Magnesium: 17 mg/100g (RDI: 310 420 mg/100g) Phosphorus: 220 mg/100g (RDI: 1000 mg/100g) Potassium: 600 mg/100g (RDI: 2800 3800 mg/100g) Selenium: 0.0051mg/100g (RDI: 60 70 mg/100g) Sodium: 2.9 mg/100g (RDI: 460 920 mg/100g) Zinc: 2.6 mg/100g (RDI: 8 14 mg/100g)
Antioxidant Capacity ORAC: 4360 mol/100g Trolox equivalent On par with Raspberry, garlic and red wine Higher then apples, broccoli, figs and strawberries
It tastes Good!
The Senses Flavour is a perception by consumers in response to a food induced stimulus, i.e. an integration of the human senses with food. Traditionally, we consider that humans have All 5 of 5 senses, them are a classification stimulated when it attributed comes to evaluating to Aristotle food We might have as many as 16 senses
Eyes Sight
Which do you prefer? 80% of all sensory information that the brain analyses comes from our sight. Officially, it can determine colors, hues, brightness. But, we do more with it.
Ears Hearing
Ears Hearing With foods, sound comes from 3 sources: Direct sound (vibrations) propagated through air Detected as vibrations conducted through the body by tactition Or vibrations conducted by the soft and hard tissues in our mouth and teeth
Touch Feel (Tactile Sense) Helps evaluate the texture of a food (in hands and mouth) and it includes 3 types of stimulus : Tactiles or pressure Thermal (temperature) Kinesthetics (pain)
Touch Feel (Tactile Sense) Since 1901, we thought that there were specific sites on the tongue to taste salt, sweet, sour and bitterness; No longer true Our perception of taste may vary : Adaptation (the same stimuli stands in mouth for a long period of time or many tastings of the same flavour) Food temperature Food texture (gels or solids vs liquids) External factors (smoking, medication and quantity/quality of saliva)
Smell - Olfaction
Physiology of Smell 2 Ways to smell Through the nose to olfactory epithelium Through the mouth, up the back of the throat to the olfactory epithelium = retronasal
Odours Vs Aromas Odours A chemical compound that is perceived by the olfactory receptors. 2 conditions: the compound needs to be volatile, it needs to be in a sufficiently high concentration Aroma Volatile compounds that are freed during chewing and then transported to the olfactory system by the retro nasal olfaction.
Smell - Olfaction One of the most determinant of the 5 senses Humans can distinguish more than 10,000 different smells (odorants) Tasting = 95 % olfaction and 5% gustation.
Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C Citric Acid Limonene
Orange (left hand) lemon (right hand)
What influences smell Normally, only 5 to 10% of volatile molecules reach the olfactory cells. DECREASE INCREASE Habituation (after a while, we start to ignore it), saturation, fatigue Disease, accidents Sniffing increases intensity of the stimuli whereas inhaling from mouth diminishes it. The temperature of the mouth and chewing increase the release of the molecules. One s concentration and attention will facilitate perception : Practice. IMPORTANT For TRUFFLE GRADING!!!
Aroma Vs Flavour In common language, it is synonymous to aroma. In the sensory world, it is the combination of TASTE + AROMA AND TRIGEMINAL SENSATIONS.
Trigeminal Sensations Stimuli related to pain, temperature or touch that are perceived by the Trigeminal nerve responsible for sensation in the face and mouth. Astringency : The word "astringent" derives from latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast". It is the dry, tart, puckering mouthfeel caused by tannins found in many fruits such as blackthorns (sloe berries), bird cherry, quince and persimmon fruits, green banana or banana skins, tannins in young wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, strong dark tea, grape seeds, artichoke. Reference : tannic acid. Heat: sensation of intense heat that spreads throughout the mouth : ginger, alcohol. Reference : ethanol. Metallic/electric : electric sensation that comes from certain juices from a can : canned pineapple juice, unsalted canned tomato juice. Reference : copper glucosane (oligosol), iron sulfate. Pungency/piquant : heat and tingling sensation that persists for a few seconds even minutes. Eg : chili pepper, onion, garlic, mustard, radish, olive oil. Reference : Capsai cin. Cooling : cooling effect stimulated by fresh mint, anis seed, erythritol, etc. Eg: mint/peppermint, a few white wines. Reference : menthol.
Truffle Volatiles 220 volatile compounds The main volatile compounds identified from fresh truffles: Mixture of esters, alcohols and aldehydes as well as dimethyl sulphide. 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, dimethyl sulfide, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 1- octen-3-ol. Trends. High levels of formic acid esters. These have only been identified as minor components of truffle odour in other parts of the world. They were present as minor components in Tasmanian truffles as well.
Dimethyl Sulfide Odour: Sulfurous, fishy, rotten egg, vegetative nuances Nuances: Organic, Wet Earth, onion, sweet corn vegetable cabbage tomato green radish Present as in all the high quality graded truffles (5 7%). Substantivity: 4 hours Also Dimethyl disulfide, Ethyl methyl sulfide, Diethyl sulfide, Dimethyl Disulfide, Dimethyl Trisulfide
1-Octen-3-ol Odor: Earthy, Mushroom Nuances: mushroom, earthy, green, oily, fungal, raw chicken Present in all the high quality graded truffles (~2%) Other: observed in higher concentrations in medium and lower class truffles than high class graded Australian truffles. For example, approximately 20 to 47% of the main components of lower class grade truffles but only as 2.5 2.7% in high class graded truffles.
2-Methyl-butanal Odor: Musty, chocolate, nutty Nuances: Musty, chocolate, nutty, furfural and iaovaleraldehyde-like with malty and fermented nuances Present in all high quality graded truffles (~30%)
3-Methyl-butanal Odor: Aldehydic, ethereal Nuances: Cacao, almond, chocolate, peach. fatty Present as a minor component in all the high quality graded truffles (~0.8%) Substantivity: 96 hours
2-Methyl-butanol Odor: Roasted Nuances: roasted wine onion fruity Present in all the high quality graded truffles (~2%)
2-Methyl-propanal 2-methyl-Propanal Spicy Burnt, caramel, cacao, germinating malt nuances
Formic acid 1-methyl propyl ester Odor: Cheese Nuances: Cheese Present as a major component in all the high quality graded truffles (~11%) Other: Inhalation of vapors causes headache, dizziness, and drowsiness. Causes irritation to the respiratory tract.
Methoxybenezene Methoxybenezene Anisole Phenolic, gasoline, ethereal, anise
Dimethyl ether Odor: Ethereal Nuances: Ethereal Present as a trace component in all the high quality graded truffles
1,3-Pentadiene 1,3-Pentadiene, Odour similar to kerosene or acrylic paint, Present as a minor component in all the high quality graded truffles. This compound has been reported as part of the aroma profile of T. simonea. It has not been observed in the aroma profile of T. melanosporum. When diced, 1,3-pentadiene is released as a major component of the aroma profile (present 27.3% of total volatiles)
Descriptors from Chefs & Experts Descriptions Dark chocolate Smoky Ground Coffee Vegetable Hot toffee Woody Shearing Shed Ammonia Caramel Fungus Wet Hay Clay Fruity Yeast Wet Dog (Fur) Cold Roast Meat Raisin Rotting leaves Straw Sour Mushroom Nutty Treacle Sweet Corn Earthy Seaweed Green Musky Fresh tobacco Sweet Baking bread Moist Malt Toasty Dry Soil Damp wood Compost Fungus Acidic Fresh meat Fruit Cake Roast meat Pungent Microbiological
Reward System The mesolimbic pathway is your reward system for behavior that needs to be reinforced Trytophan (eating, seeking warmth or shelter, sex, winning a fight, etc.) The mesolimbic pathway aka the pleasure center
Other Results of Focus Groups The focus group data showed interesting trends. 29 truffles from a number of suppliers across Australia. 10 were graded as Extra Class, 11 First Class and 8 Second Class by their respective truffieres. Judging on aroma alone, the Chefs ranked 10 of the truffles Extra Class, 16 as First Class and 3 as Second Class. Of the ten ranked by the Chefs as Extra Class, only three of these were graded as Extra Class by the truffiere of origin. The Chefs agreed with only seven of the gradings offered by the truffieres (24.1%). The Experts group agreed with 51.7% of the gradings offered by the truffiere of origin. The Chefs and Experts agreed on a grade for only 14 of the 29 truffles. Of the 15 contentious truffles, the Chefs awarded a higher grade for 14 of them. All truffles were re-graded based on the Chefs assessment for the training of the sensory panel. The Experts assessments were considered too prejudiced.
Truffle Catcher Exercise Simple 6 question survey of 30 well known restaurateurs in the Perth and surrounding regions. 60% of the participants (18 out of 31) used or had access to Australian truffles in 2012. This set is known as the users. Two of the non-users replied that even though they tried, they could not get a supplier. Of the 13 that did not have access to Australian truffles, 4 sourced truffles elsewhere. In addition to the 4 that sourced truffles elsewhere, 5 of the 18 truffle users also sourced truffles from overseas. Of those 9, 7 said that the overseas truffles were better quality than Australian truffles in terms of aroma. Although all 18 truffle users replied that they were happy with Australian truffles, 13 out of the 18 replied that at some stage in the last 5 years (to 2012) they have did not believe that the truffle that they were purchasing was an Extra class or first grade truffle. This was based on their opinion of the aroma.
Volatile Markers T. Magnatum T. Brumale T. Macrosporum T. Borchii 2,4-Dithiapentane 1-Methylthio propane 4-Ethyl, 5-methylthiazole 3-Methyl-4,5-(2H) thiophene
Frozen Truffles Frozen Truffles have increased Diacetyl, 1-octen-3-one and 1-octan-3-ol Decreased isoamyl alcohol Risk of increased fungal contamination with increased production of mouldy aromas Some oxidation increased mushroom and phenolic aromas Decrease in levels of sulfides 1-Octen-3-one proposed as a marker for frozen truffles
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