The Bougie Flavored Oil Anthony Bourdain Called 'Industrial Waste'

Truffle oil might be one of the most overrated ingredients in the modern food world — and Anthony Bourdain would agree. The chef likened it to "industrial waste" in a 2016 interview with First We Feast, and that's not just Bourdain being opinionated (although, yes, he was gloriously that). It's because most truffle oils have zero actual truffles in them. What you're typically paying for is synthetic aroma infused into oil, designed to mimic the real thing but often landing somewhere between bad air freshener and movie theater butter.

And yet, truffle oil keeps showing up in places it doesn't belong, like on fries, in aioli, and drowning perfectly good pastas. Drizzling it on any dish is something Bourdain had no tolerance for. "If you add truffle oil, which is made from a petroleum-based chemical additive and the crushed dreams of nineties culinary mediocrity, you should be punched in the kidneys," he bluntly wrote in an introduction to his macaroni and cheese recipe (via Splendid Table). 

Bourdain wasn't the only one who loathed truffle oil. Martha Stewart has said it's one of her least favorite ingredients, and Gordon Ramsay and Guy Fieri aren't fans of the upscale oil either. When something fake is being passed off as luxury, that's not indulgence — it's marketing. The price tag suggests decadence, but the flavor? Mostly smoke and mirrors.

There's a big difference between actual truffles and the chemical essence pretending to be them. Fresh truffles, when used smartly and sparingly, can be a revelation. Earthy, aromatic, and delicately musky, they shine when shaved over something simple like risotto or buttered noodles. They're also wildly expensive, and unless you're eating them fresh and in season, they're usually not worth the hype or the price tag. Truffles cost so much not just because of their rarity, perishability, and labor-intensive harvesting but because of their fancy reputation.

Still, truffles have broken free of fine dining and are now in everything from popcorn to fast casual burgers. That democratization isn't always a good thing, especially when fake products are overwhelming the market. Not every dish needs to smell like the forest floor or, worse, a bottle of truffle body spray. So if you're going to splurge, skip the overpriced truffle fries. Buy the real thing, use it well, and as Bourdain once said, don't fall for the truffle oil scam: "It's not food; it has nothing to do with truffles" (via First We Feast).