This Sought-After Luxury Condiment Was One Of Anthony Bourdain's Least Favorite Foods

When the late Anthony Bourdain spoke about food, he never held back, and his brutal take on truffle oil was no exception. In a 2017 interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Bourdain weighed in on food trends of the time and minced no words: "Truffle oil. Horrible. It's not even food. Uh, it's really on a par with about as edible as Astroglide and made from the same stuff." That withering dismissal cements truffle oil as one of Bourdain's least favorite foods and a food crime he could not forgive.

Synthetic truffle oil sold on shelves goes directly against Bourdain's strict belief that the best foods are unpretentious, authentic, and simple. It's no surprise he saw this trendy topping (often drizzled over fries or popcorn) as an artificial, overhyped impostor. While other trends like Cronuts won a reluctant nod ("those Cronuts are, are damn good"), truffle oil earned nothing but scorn.

Truffle oil may sound gourmet, but in many cases, what you find on shelves is an imposter more chemical than epicurean. Many bottles don't contain actual truffles at all and rather use synthetic compounds to mimic the aroma of truffles — without ever touching the real thing. You always have to check the labels on truffle oil to see what you're putting in your shopping cart. Even when the label says "truffle aroma," it might still be artificial. The truly authentic stuff will use terms like "natural truffle aroma."

True truffles are wildly expensive and rare. Black and white truffles are different, with black truffles going for over $2,000 a pound and the even more elusive white truffles often hitting nearly $5,000 a pound. Still, the flavor appeals to many. Culinary icon Ina Garten took a different tack and embraced the truffle, suggesting adding truffle butter to basic popcorn for a quick, umami-packed snack. But, for Anthony Bourdain, the truffle flavor was not worth its hype or price.