Truffle Popcorn!? A Pipcorn Review

Today we present to you the first ever FUNGAL FEAST!

Friend, have you ever had or herd of a truffle?! They’re kind of amazing and on just about every foodie’s bucket list, its on this gals bucket list like 4 times! Truffle is defined as an edible fungus found underground. in fact they have fruiting bodies that are dug up by Truffle pigs, or at least they used to, but more about that below. These little gems have been part of foodie culture dating back to the Egyptians. I’d like to share with you a little story, exemplifying this delectable fungus’s place in society.

The Infertile Farmer and his Happy Pig's Discovery

Once upon a time, there was a poor infertile farmer who wanted nothing more than to have a child to cherish with his beloved wife. One day a horrible storm came, and lightning struck the ground near the farm, blinding the farmer and his wife and scaring the animals to a stampede, breaking their fence and allowing the animals to run free. After the storm, the farmer went to collect his herd when he saw the happiest little pig munching on a rock? The farmer discovered it was not a rock, but some sort of food. Seeing how happy this little tuber made the pig, the farmer took a bite. It was delicious! It was God’s gift to him! He then had 13 kids and they all lived happily ever after tending their farm and eating truffles!

Truffles were worshiped by the Greeks and Romans. They were exotic, aromatic, therapeutic and, after giving someone 13 kids, some might say an aphrodisiac! This led to the church in the middle ages to believe truffles were the work of the devil, making this alluring food even more forbidden. Since then, truffles have had their ups and downs, being favored by some monarchs and condemned by others. The bombings of rural lands during WWI certainly destroyed much of the habitat of truffles, plummeting their availability. Today, they are still quite rare, and considered a delicacy in some areas. But as we learn to love fungi, the truffle has become quite the comeback kid and can now be enjoyed in a variety of delectable products. Their flavor is quite unique, a little nutty, very earthy and can be quite subtle but hard to miss.

What are Truffles?

There are three main types of truffles: white (like a potato), black (like dung balls) and burgundy (like black raspberries). Truffles can be prepared in a variety of ways including simply grating a truffle over scrambled eggs. The Telegraph recommends truffles as one of the 25 things to eat before you die; specifically, they recommend the Alba white truffle from Italy. Bucket List Journey also places these underground fungi as number two in their “foodie” musts. So if it's not already, definitely go add truffles to your own list! These truffles grow in forests mostly associated with chestnut, oak, hazel and beech trees. Italy, France and Oregon in the U.S. are probably the best places to harvest the black gems. Today, we have truffle sniffing dogs and female pigs to help locate these hidden black pearls of the forest! They smell them out and start digging, but you have to act quick because pigs looooove them as much as people do. The reason females are used is due to the fact that truffles give off a similar small as male pigs, hope that does not make them less appealing. Dogs may be the more favorable animal to use as they are more delicate and probably don't want to eat it.

Where Can You Find Them?

Because they are so hard to find and so delicious, you can bet they can run a little pricey, about $175-$400/ pound! It's not recommended to hunt for truffles on your own though...and without experience there is a possibility of picking one of the many poisonous fungi in the forest. One safe way to do so is by booking a hunting truffle tour, which are offered in various locations, if you’d like to get a little dirty and harvest your own fungi at great expense. But fret not my little foodie friend, there are cheaper, and less dirty ways to consume this delicacy.

Perhaps sacrilege to culinary elites, I’ve enjoyed my truffle feasts in a couple of different ways. Today I will talk about Truffle popcorn from Pipcorn!

The Setting

My Fiancé and I were delighted to see this Truffle popcorn pop into our imperfect produce box and thoroughly enjoyed eating these little bits of treasure on our Californian balcony while watching the sunset and pairing it with a bottle of wine.

The Product

The bag claims it is made with real truffles, non-GMO and vegan. They also are a certified B corporation and are a women and minority owned business. So for anyone who likes to be conscious of where their food comes from, this company ticks off a lot of those boxes.

The Flavor

It was a very nice subtle truffle flavor with a perfect amount of salt to make it irresistibly addicting. The popcorn itself was smaller than normal, attributed to the heirloom variety of corn used for the kernels. We also agreed it was infinitely better than smart food brand popcorn, to put it into perspective. Some pieces had a more punchy truffle flavor then others, which made each piece unique and interesting throughout the whole bag. I would give a “B” rating and my fiancé an “A-”. We both agreed this popcorn was better than the theater and worth the risk of trying to smuggle it in ;) .

The Nutrition

Only 4 ingredients and they are all easy to say.

The Verdict

Go get yourself some truffle popcorn and have yourself a Fungal Feast! Let us know what you think! Oh and FYI they only sell in batches of 4 bags and JSUK your probably going to want 8 bags ;)

Update

They also have Truffle chips. Think of Fritos scoops but tasting of Truffles. I still prefer the popcorn, but I have to admit they are still pretty good. So what are you waiting for? Go get some! You wont regret it.

Sources

White, A. Foodie Bucket List: 30 Things Every Food Lover Must Do in their Lifetime. Bucket List Journey | Travel + Lifestyle Blog https://bucketlistjourney.net/things-every-foodie-must-do-in-their-lifetime/ (2016)

History Of Truffles. GourmetFoodStore.com https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/history-truffle-15178

25 things to eat before you die – the ultimate foodie bucket list. The Daily Telegraph (2017)