Cooking With Mountain Truffles (Hed Hop)

[KRS1]

It's Thai Truffle season. Has anyone ever cooked a pasta dish with these? I just minced a whole Truffle up to taste test it and - i liked it, that distinct Truffle taste with a slight buttery aroma and light crunch, not bad for a Thai Truffle.

So im wondering, eventhough i washed it and wiped it as good as i could, it still had dirt stains on it...is this dangerous? or normal? Am i going to be on the toilet anytime soon?

Just going to mix some in with a cream sauce tomorrow unless someone has another suggestion.

Whats the best oil to soak these in to make Truffle oil for later use?

Thanks !

btw, i got them at worarot market by a vendor on the side of the road 250 baht a kilo, will sell in 1/10 kilo increments.

[Mapguy]

Someone told me recently, although I do not know if it is correct, that these are not truffles but mushrooms.

And, as is generally known, the increased demand for these mushrooms is problematic because of the belief that burning in forest areas enhances the crop.

And you really want recipes?!

[MESmith]

Surely buying these is rewarding the folk burning the forests

[ARISTIDE]

Interesting, however I think they're very crunchy and I don't know if it will work well with pasta. As for the cleaning part I think you should hire some one to do it for you!

[terminatorchiangmai]

Its a mushroom and the flavor has nothing to do with truffles.

[habfan]

Out in the sticks of Lampang Province my wife just started hunting these last week. Everyone in the village very excited this season had begun. In Canada they look similar to what we call puffer mushrooms. The wife has prepared many thai dishes with these already and they are delicious, sorry don't have any recipes (family secrets lol)

[KRS1]

Someone told me recently, although I do not know if it is correct, that these are not truffles but mushrooms.

And, as is generally known, the increased demand for these mushrooms is problematic because of the belief that burning in forest areas enhances the crop.

And you really want recipes?!

Both you and MESmith now know where the lady is.

You should both go have a word with her...she only speaks Northern Thai though, may be kinda hard for her to figure out what your trying to teach her. Maybe you can light some grass on fire or something and act like a Mime.

LOL

Whatever they are they smell and taste like a Truffle to me.

Edited May 25, 2013 by KRS1

[KRS1]

Whatever they are they taste like Truffles to me ....

they really do...

I like the crunchy part, finely minced it gives a good texture.

[elektrified]

I remember seeing them the first week I came to Chiang Mai, about 6 years ago and asking everyone I met and knew at the time "Are they truffles?". Nobody knew what a "truffle" was and at the time I only knew Thais here that didn't know how to cook so they didn't even know what they were used for so I gave up on pursuing the matter. Thanks for bringing it up. May pick up a few and experiment.

[jaideeguy]

Surely buying these is rewarding the folk burning the forests

Thanks ME, for pointing that out. Duuuh, I never made the connection. I used to experiment with all the colorful mushrooms in the market at this time of the year. Some good/some not so, but backed off when several locals got poisoned one year. Now I stick with Makro's and nice to know that I'm helping to save the forests.

[Dante99]

Surely buying these is rewarding the folk burning the forests

Buying rice is rewarding the folk who burn the rice fields.

Buying vegetables is rewarding the folk who are killing our soil with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fungacides.

Buying diesel fuel or gasoline is rewarding folks who pollute widely making them and using them is rewarding ourselves with the pollution we cause.

Electircity.....................

[junglechef]

To me they don't taste like truffles but some kind of wonderful snappy earthy mushroom kind of thing. Which they are, and technically truffles are too (subterranean fungi) but are not culinary used the same (unless your really rich!). I use them in Thai dishes just like a mushroom or veg but clean them well and boil them first. I prefer to cut them in half before adding to dish. Some call them Thai Truffles because I think they look like them and are a mushroom w/lots of culinary license but I've seen other things called something they resemble even less here. The name I believe in Thai, Hed Pop (or Hop if you want) is onomatopoeia since when you bite into it makes a popping sound.

[KRS1]

To me they don't taste like truffles but some kind of wonderful snappy earthy mushroom kind of thing. Which they are, and technically truffles are too (subterranean fungi) but are not culinary used the same (unless your really rich!). I use them in Thai dishes just like a mushroom or veg but clean them well and boil them first. I prefer to cut them in half before adding to dish. Some call them Thai Truffles because I think they look like them and are a mushroom w/lots of culinary license but I've seen other things called something they resemble even less here. The name I believe in Thai, Hed Pop (or Hop if you want) is onomatopoeia since when you bite into it makes a popping sound.

ah the chef has spoken....so do you think if i were to mince them and give them a quick sear in butter it would be safer? Would it still retain the flavor, crunch and aroma of the outer shell? The raw one i ate tasted really delicious, but sanitarily dont know if its the best thing to do. That was at noon and my stomach doesnt hurt yet.

I want to make a cream sauce mixed into some Linguini. To me its close enough to a Truffle.

In thailand there are some species of fruit that are similar to another but not the same. For example Longan and Longsot. Maybe this Truffle imitator is close enough,

Edited May 25, 2013 by KRS1

[BillyBobThai]

I found this on Google. I think I will try to find some in the next few days.

http://khiewchanta.com/archives/ingredients/thai-vegetables/thai-truffles-head-pop-1.html

[DiamondKing]

TRUFFLES are Mushrooms you Muppets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle

[Rotweiler]

Sorry, but the black "truffles" that grow in the mountains here during the first weeks of the rainy season are not truffles. They are better known in other parts of the world as earthstar mushrooms (Astraeus hygrometricus) and are a small fungus (เห็ดถอบ here, puffballs in Canada).

The outer part has the consistency of rubber, the inside soft and a bit mushy. The taste is nothing like a real truffle.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Rotweiler

[junglechef]

To me they don't taste like truffles but some kind of wonderful snappy earthy mushroom kind of thing. Which they are, and technically truffles are too (subterranean fungi) but are not culinary used the same (unless your really rich!). I use them in Thai dishes just like a mushroom or veg but clean them well and boil them first. I prefer to cut them in half before adding to dish. Some call them Thai Truffles because I think they look like them and are a mushroom w/lots of culinary license but I've seen other things called something they resemble even less here. The name I believe in Thai, Hed Pop (or Hop if you want) is onomatopoeia since when you bite into it makes a popping sound.

ah the chef has spoken....so do you think if i were to mince them and give them a quick sear in butter it would be safer? Would it still retain the flavor, crunch and aroma of the outer shell? The raw one i ate tasted really delicious, but sanitarily dont know if its the best thing to do. That was at noon and my stomach doesnt hurt yet.

I want to make a cream sauce mixed into some Linguini. To me its close enough to a Truffle.

In thailand there are some species of fruit that are similar to another but not the same. For example Longan and Longsot. Maybe this Truffle imitator is close enough,

Sounds like your Cheffing it up just fine yourself! I think it would be good w/butter but not sure why you would mince it up as part of the attraction to me is the texture, but I guess that depends on how fine you make them. Everything you suggest sounds real good to me, now you just have to try and see if you like it and please tell us how it turns out. Substituting local product for traditional one's, esp. if one is Thai and the other is not, has worked fine for me in some cases and awfully other times, Thai eggplant in ratatouille for instance didn't while I like using local chilli peppers in Mexican food. If your going to go Thai style try "Kaeng Nomai say Hed Hop" This is a curry style soup w/bamboo shoots, Thai "truffles" and climbing wattle (cha-om in Thai which is a smelly veg. that you might want to leave out if you taste is more on the Western side). Some like it with coconut milk, as shown in pic., but I prefer w/o. One can also buy the Hed Hop canned, as I just went to an excellent upscale Thai restaurant that used them for year round consistency in the way the dish tasted, but obviously fresh is better and to me enjoying seasonal foods in season makes them that more delicious and something to look forward to, can't you just virtually (not the computer generated kind) smell the logans in the air now?

[seabear]

Someone told me recently, although I do not know if it is correct, that these are not truffles but mushrooms.

And, as is generally known, the increased demand for these mushrooms is problematic because of the belief that burning in forest areas enhances the crop.

And you really want recipes?!

Both you and MESmith now know where the lady is.

You should both go have a word with her...she only speaks Northern Thai though, may be kinda hard for her to figure out what your trying to teach her. Maybe you can light some grass on fire or something and act like a Mime.

LOL

Whatever they are they smell and taste like a Truffle to me.

They smell and taste like a Truffle to me?

Which one?

The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum or Perigord truffle), or the white one (Tuber magnatum or Alba Madonna). ?

[junglechef]

Someone told me recently, although I do not know if it is correct, that these are not truffles but mushrooms.

And, as is generally known, the increased demand for these mushrooms is problematic because of the belief that burning in forest areas enhances the crop.

And you really want recipes?!

Both you and MESmith now know where the lady is.

You should both go have a word with her...she only speaks Northern Thai though, may be kinda hard for her to figure out what your trying to teach her. Maybe you can light some grass on fire or something and act like a Mime.

LOL

Whatever they are they smell and taste like a Truffle to me.

They smell and taste like a Truffle to me?

Which one?

The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum or Perigord truffle), or the white one (Tuber magnatum or Alba Madonna). ?

Actually someone even worse than me posting today, welcome and feel free to take as much heat off me as you'd like

[DiamondKing]

They Make a great soup though, I dont like the actual mushroom, but the broth it makes is really tasty

[bobl]

They look like the things I was presented with this season last year. "Very nice mushroom. Only available short time, this season. Expenchip ka."

Crunchy mushrooms indeed. They're tasteless and are like chewing on plastic bottle tops, I think I won't be sampling them again this year.

[elektrified]

They have them for sale at the Ruam Choke weekend market - lots of them. Why are there so many flies on them? Kinda turned me off of buying some. Also 250 THB/Kg. They had so many everywhere. Looked to me like nobody was buying them though.

[KRS1]

To me they don't taste like truffles but some kind of wonderful snappy earthy mushroom kind of thing. Which they are, and technically truffles are too (subterranean fungi) but are not culinary used the same (unless your really rich!). I use them in Thai dishes just like a mushroom or veg but clean them well and boil them first. I prefer to cut them in half before adding to dish. Some call them Thai Truffles because I think they look like them and are a mushroom w/lots of culinary license but I've seen other things called something they resemble even less here. The name I believe in Thai, Hed Pop (or Hop if you want) is onomatopoeia since when you bite into it makes a popping sound.

ah the chef has spoken....so do you think if i were to mince them and give them a quick sear in butter it would be safer? Would it still retain the flavor, crunch and aroma of the outer shell? The raw one i ate tasted really delicious, but sanitarily dont know if its the best thing to do. That was at noon and my stomach doesnt hurt yet.

I want to make a cream sauce mixed into some Linguini. To me its close enough to a Truffle.

In thailand there are some species of fruit that are similar to another but not the same. For example Longan and Longsot. Maybe this Truffle imitator is close enough,

Sounds like your Cheffing it up just fine yourself! I think it would be good w/butter but not sure why you would mince it up as part of the attraction to me is the texture, but I guess that depends on how fine you make them. Everything you suggest sounds real good to me, now you just have to try and see if you like it and please tell us how it turns out. Substituting local product for traditional one's, esp. if one is Thai and the other is not, has worked fine for me in some cases and awfully other times, Thai eggplant in ratatouille for instance didn't while I like using local chilli peppers in Mexican food. If your going to go Thai style try "Kaeng Nomai say Hed Hop" This is a curry style soup w/bamboo shoots, Thai "truffles" and climbing wattle (cha-om in Thai which is a smelly veg. that you might want to leave out if you taste is more on the Western side). Some like it with coconut milk, as shown in pic., but I prefer w/o. One can also buy the Hed Hop canned, as I just went to an excellent upscale Thai restaurant that used them for year round consistency in the way the dish tasted, but obviously fresh is better and to me enjoying seasonal foods in season makes them that more delicious and something to look forward to, can't you just virtually (not the computer generated kind) smell the logans in the air now?

Well made it today and it taste just like the restaurant ! Beats paying 280 baht...

Minced them up for the slightly crunchy texture and so it wouldnt be to overpowering (still a little crunch after searing). The mince was very fine, shell and insides, seared in butter added cream and salt, fresh ground black pepper garlic clove and seasonings, then stirred in the pasta. Turned out great.

Will add shrimp and a dash of white wine next time ! Had it with beef

stew and garlic bread today, just missing a glass Spanish Bodegas Red

Wine !

[naboo]

A couple of simple dishes.

Fried Hed Tob (Pad Hed Tob)

Slice a hand full of mushrooms (Hed Tob), 3 red onions, 4 very finely sliced Kaffir Lime leaves (I think, the Thai is Bai Magood and they look like Kaffir)

Fry all the above in a wok with Maggi sauce and oyster sauce for about 4 or 5 minutes.

Hed Tob Soup (Dtom Hed Tob)

Wash a handful of Hed Tob mushrooms and put into a pan of boiling water with salt, 100g of tamarind leaves, boil for 20 minutes.

Make a dip for the mushrooms; crush 5 chillis a little garlic in a pestle and mortar (or the som tam bowl), add the juice of half a lemon, a dash of fish sauce.