The Fish River Truffles, truffle tasting grid.

In this blog post we are pleased to release our very own truffle tasting grid. If you recall from our post two weeks ago where we outlined some of the thinking that was going to the grid's development this week we are not only releasing the grid but happy to provide it in two different formats so that you are able to use it in a way that is most convenient for your situation.

I have included a copy of the grid below so you can have a quick look but I suggest that a more efficient way to view it might be to download the word version which is just below this paragraph. The word file can be printed if a paper version works best for you and has a bit more detail about some of the information about the specific bits of information in each field.

Truffle tasting grid

.docx

Download DOCX • 26KB

Finally we have also have an excel version which I think is the best version. It has drop-downs and conditional formatting built in which better visualises how the truffles performs based on its aroma characters to its final paring to ingredients in the plate. There is a catch with this version however, you you are going to have to join us in our truffle group to get access to it. Becoming a member is an easy process which you can start by following this link.

Finally, before you go to the the grid below, just to let you know we also are intending to keep updating and refining the grid. The next version will have more detailed descriptors of the characteristics for each field to help you better understand what you are looking for in the truffle and how to document it. Lastly, you should note that the Fish River Truffle truffle tasting grid only relates to black winter truffles (tuba melanosporum), OK, with all that done, onto the grid.

The truffle tasting grid

Recipe used:	Purchase Location:	Date:
Truffle tasting grid	Visual/Physical	Gleba	White, grey, brown, black flesh with white veins
Skin	Intact, water, insect, dog, other damage
Weightiness/density	Heavy, medium, light for its size
Firmness	Firm, slightly squashy, soft
Condition	Presence of rot (yes, no)
Lively aroma indicating freshness (yes, no)
Nose	Overall Intensity	Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Fruity	Banana Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Fermented Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Winey Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Fresh baked fruit cake Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Treacle Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Apple Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Pear Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Plum Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Apricot Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Pineapple Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Molasses Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Sharp Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Caramel Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Vanilla Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Green fruity Cacao Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Citric acid Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Floral	Green/sweet Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Honey Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Violet Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Marzipan Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Hawthorn Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Balsamic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Spicy	Vanilla Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Clove Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Aniseed Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Nutmeg Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Rum Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Maillard	Cold roast meats Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Roast beef Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Warm baked bread Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Malt Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Dark chocolate Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Caramel Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Raisin Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Aldehydic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cacao Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Ground coffee Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Seaweed Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Smokey Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Buttery Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Creamy Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cheesy Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Nutty	Cashew Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Pistachio Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Almond Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Walnut Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Oak Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Earthy	Woody Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Dry yeast Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Mouldy Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Leather Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Fungal Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Field mushroom Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Forrest floor Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Soil Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Compost Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Rotting leaves Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Damp wool Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Raw chicken Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Fish Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Vegetal & Herbal	Rotten eggs Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Burnt Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Onion Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Asparagus Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Garlic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Seaweed Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Tobacco Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Straw Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Damp hay Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cut green grass Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Leafy Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Minty Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Pine Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Sweet corn Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Leek Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Potatoes Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cooked vegetables Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cabbage Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Chemical	Ammonia Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Resin Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Acrylic paint Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Kerosene Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Gasoline Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Phenolic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Camphor Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Metallic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Acetone Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Cognac Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Alcoholic Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Solvent Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Acidic	Lemon Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Sour Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Vinegar Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Animalistic	Other animal Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Wet dog/fur Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Underarm Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Sweaty socks/feet Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
	Origin	State	NSW, Vic, SA, WA, Qld, NT, ACT, Tas
Region	The region from which your truffle comes from.
Farm	Name of the farm your truffle comes from.
Tree	French Oak, English Oak, Hazelnut
Climate	Moisture	Wet, Normal, Dry
Temperature	Cool, moderate, warm
Age	Days from harvest	Number of days
Pairing (On the Plate)	Physical Incorporation	Grated, Sliced
Intensity	Delicate, Moderate, Powerful
Complementarity	List the notes picked up from the list above and their intensity. High, Medium, Low
Conclusion	Quality	Your personal rating out of five on the overall performance of the truffle 5 = Loved it – 1=Disliked it
Aromas you missed	Are there any aromas you missed detecting in the truffle’s aroma that have become apparent in the plate. Use the aroma list above as a guide.
Your notes:

And that’s a wrap, I hope you find the grid useful, we would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences if you use it. This is a bit of an experiment so if you have any suggestions or comments I would love to hear them as well.

If you liked this post, please go ahead, and share it with your friends and fellow truffle enthusiasts. If you've got any truffle stories or questions, as always, we're all ears.

Ciao for now truffle lovers.

Carmine