Hacker News Reader

Comment by ptero | Hacker News Reader

To me, as well, caviar tastes good but almost never worth the costs and certainly not worth pushing species into extinction for.

However, as far as most overrated and overpriced item the honor, in my book, goes to truffles. Which, for me, are not even enjoyable. But this is certainly just a personal preference.

View on HN

The price and availability of truffles in the US may improve in the future as the result of "the great race to grow black truffles in Wine Country [where] Sonoma County has beaten out Napa Valley despite getting a later start"

"Ground-breaking truffle harvest portends something big in California" https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Ground-breaking-tru...

Truffles have really strong smell and taste. It is one of those things you either you love or hate. I personally love home made pasta with black truffle sauce.

It is expensive (~US$ 15 per person in truffles for a meal), but for me it's definitely worth every once in a while.

Sample recipe: http://www.travellingoven.com/2017/03/tagliatelle-pasta-with...

If we're talking about ridiculous overpriced foods I think saffron might beat out truffles for me. I've had it a couple times and i'm still not sure what it tastes like.

You need to have it in a sufficient quantity (Grandma used to give 4-5 filaments in a warm glass of milk) and with very few other ingredients to know it's real taste and smell. Part me still wonders if I liked more it due to its rarity or the coziness of staying over at Grandma's...

Same. It's not unacceptable to substitute it with a tiny bit of cumin to get the same color, since the taste of it is very subtle and easy to overpower. Even when you can taste it, it's not some miraculously incredible flavor or whatever, it just happens to compliment some other ingredients.

I grew some at home once just to see what the real stuff tastes like, and while the flowers were pretty, I'd never bother with it again.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com