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I don't see myself going to the effort/expense of having authentic truffles. It's just a very particular mild taste. I think I can do without it.

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There's the kicker. Truffles aren't beloved because of their flavor (which is fine), they're beloved because of their rarity and expense, which allows you to signal your social status. They're the diamonds of the food world.

When I was younger I used to believe when people talked about how amazing certain items or experiences were. They were often very expensive, or very hard to get to. I used to believe that they really were such a unique and special experience and that was why people would go to the trouble and expense of having it.

Being older now, I see that the real value in the item or experience was being able to tell me about it. So many things fall into this category, if not completely, at least partially.

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