Is Truffle Oil Vegan?

Are truffles themselves vegan-friendly?

So truffles themselves are actually categorised as fungi specifically rather than exactly plant, but this doesn’t stop them from being considered vegan. However, some methods of finding naturally occurring truffles do include the use of pigs or dogs for their sense of smell. In these cases, vegans may object to eating them.  

What is truffle oil made from?

Traditionally truffle oil was made by infusing good quality olive oil with white or black truffle, however today it’s generally made synthetically with 2,4-dithiapentane. This is an aromatic molecular compound that gives truffles their distinctive smell.

Is it vegan?

In theory, yes, both natural and synthetic truffle oils should be suitable for vegans, however it’s worth checking the labels as some have been known to contain traces of dairy or even fish in the past.

Creamy mushroom truffle pasta recipe

If we’ve now made you hungry for something truffle (a success in our opinion) then you’ve got to try this recipe from our Development Chef, Iona for creamy mushroom and truffle pappardelle!