When TRUFF hot sauce hit the hot sauce scene in 2017, it was an immediate success.
Perhaps the brand reaped such immediate fame because the brand’s founders, Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni, were running a highly successful Instagram page all about sauce at the time of TRUFF’s release. Perhaps TRUFF is delicious enough to garner a cult following right off the bat, all on its own.
We sought to assess this ultra-trendy, celebrity-endorsed, truffle-laden condiment for ourselves to answer the burgeoning question: Is TRUFF worth the hype?
Here’s what we found.
What Is This Truff Stuff?
TRUFF is a truffle-infused luxury hot sauce company with a massive social media following.
The hype started with their Original recipe, which boasts a gluten-free and vegan blend of ripe red chili peppers, real black truffle, agave nectar, and savory spices.
Since its debut in 2017, TRUFF has introduced a conglomeration of sauces, spices, and condiments to its repertoire. The luxury brand’s saucy offerings include Hotter, a “less sweet, more heat” rendition of the original recipe, and White Hot Sauce, which introduces new levels of umami and bright notes of coriander to the most sophisticated palettes.
TRUFF also offers black and white truffle oils, salts, mayonnaises, pasta sauces, and a slew of variety packs for your capsaicin-loving comrades.
Where’s All The Hype Coming From?
Since its origin, TRUFF quickly amassed an expansive, devoted fanbase. Here are some driving factors that contribute to its omnipresence on our social media feeds and in our local grocery stores:
- In 2021, Oprah called TRUFF’s three-bottle sampler pack one of her favorite things. [1] She was even quoted as saying, “TRUFF can do no wrong by me.” If it’s good enough for Oprah, it’s good enough for us.
- Celebrities swear by this stuff, which certainly helps with PR. Lil Jon, Kris Jenner, Pusha T, Hailey Bieber, and Steve Aoki have all claimed TRUFF’s spicy stuff as a favorite.
- TRUFF partnered with Taco Bell in 2021 to introduce Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries and Loaded TRUFF Fries Burrito to their rabid fanbase. We never thought we’d see the day truffles made it onto Taco Bell’s cuisine. That day hath come and gone, thanks to TRUFF.
- Over 48 million TikTok videos feature the hashtag #truffhotsauce. That’s more than the entire population of Spain.
- World-famous food-centric publications, like Food Network, Buzzfeed, and The Kitchn, have written extensively about TRUFF since its inception in 2017, helping immensely with word-spreading.
How Are These TRUFF Hot Sauces, Anyways?
The short answer is: TRUFF is delicious.
It’s unique, bears a deep umami flavor, and is all wrapped up in profoundly stylish packaging. It’s sure to add sophistication to your kitchen shelf and your cooking.
Here’s what we think about each of TRUFF’s hot sauces:
TRUFF Original Black Truffle Hot Sauce
PHOTO: AMAZON
TRUFF’s original recipe’s aroma combines the earthy richness of black truffle oil with the tangy notes of ripe chili peppers. Its texture is smooth, and the sauce flows out of its bottle like a most perfect molten lava.
The combination of ripe chili peppers, black truffle oil, and agave nectar creates a symphony of spicy, sweet, tangy, and grounding flavors that are truly surprising and unprecedented in the hot sauce universe.
TRUFF’s Original Black Truffle Hot Sauce combines exceptional taste, high-quality ingredients, and elegant packaging, making it a standout choice for hot sauce enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
TRUFF Hotter Hot Sauce
PHOTO: TRUFF
This spicier alternative blends rich jalapeño flavors and habanero heat with TRUFF’s signature red chili pepper, black truffle, and agave nectar blend. Think of the original recipe, but it is less sweet and has more heat.
We find that its aroma and texture mirror the original. It’s very similar in flavor to the original, too—just quite a bit spicier.
The heat culminates slowly and on the back of the palette while the flavor moves from sweet to earthy to sweet again. We like this as much as the original and recommend it for folks with a higher tolerance to chili pepper heat.
TRUFF White Truffle Hot Sauce
PHOTO: AMAZON
TRUFF’s White Truffle Infused Hot Sauce isn’t your typical hot sauce. It’s thick and creamy with a subtle truffle flavor and a hint of heat. Compared to its original counterpart, it carries a brighter palette.
Instead of the Original’s usage of black truffle, this alternative boasts white truffle powder concentrate. There’s also olive oil infused with white truffle in this one, along with cumin and coriander.
You can expect a lighter, fruitier, and more vegetal body on this one, though it’s not too far off from the original, and we prefer it, even if only slightly.
TRUFF White Hotter Hot Sauce
PHOTO: TRUFF
Here’s the spicier version of TRUFF’s White Truffle Hot Sauce.
The primary differentiator between the white truffle sauces and the originals is the use of white truffle oil infused with red chili peppers. The White Hotter Hot Sauce is sweeter, more vegetal, and fruitier than the original, just like its less spicy sibling.
This one, however, is undoubtedly spicier and offers less of those earthy, umami truffle flavors.
While we enjoy all of TRUFF’s sauces, we probably prefer the White Hotter Hot Sauce the most because of its high heat (we’re self-proclaimed chiliheads) and its brighter, fruitier flavor.
It’s not the most affordable option on the market, but it’s an experience, and it’s delicious.
How Spicy is Truff Hot Sauce?
TRUFF’s hot sauces are relatively mild and are friendly for folks with low heat tolerances or those who love a dose of truffle flavor at the ready.
Here’s how spicy each TRUFF hot sauce is, according to TRUFF’s website [2]:
- TRUFF Original Hot Sauce: This rendition of TRUFF sauce measures 2,500 to 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, making it about as spicy as Tapatío.
- TRUFF Hotter Hot Sauce: TRUFF’s Hotter rendition falls between 5,000 and 7,000 Scoville Heat Units, making it spicy but manageable for most.
- TRUFF White Hot Sauce: This lighter, white truffle-infused alternative measures between 2,500 and 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, meaning it’s just as spicy as the original.
- TRUFF White Hotter Hot Sauce: Like the original Hotter recipe, TRUFF’s White Hotter Hot Sauce lands between 5,000 and 7,000 Scoville Heat Units. Spicy, sure, but still approachable.
What Other Products Does TRUFF Offer?
TRUFF offers a line of other products that feature their signature truffle flavor. Check out everything else this ultra-trendy brand has to offer:
TRUFF OIL
PHOTO: TRUFF
TRUFF offers two finishing oils: a Black Truffle Oil and a White Truffle Oil.
TRUFF’s Black Truffle Oil uses real black winter truffles and high-quality olive oil to create a perfect finishing oil. We love it on french fries with loads of roasted garlic, a steaming bowl of tonkatsu ramen, and in every single pasta dish imaginable.
TRUFF’s White Truffle Oil is less dark and earthy, meaning it pairs well with lighter, more delicate foods like grilled sea bass, white pizza, and Sunday morning’s eggs benedict.
TRUFF MAYONNAISE
PHOTO: TRUFF
TRUFF’s truffle mayonnaises, which come in original and spicy varieties, are made with cage-free eggs, sunflower oil, and black winter truffles to live in alignment with TRUFF’s commitment to high-quality, savory ingredients.
We recommend using TRUFF Mayo on toasty cheeseburger buns, in celebratory deviled eggs, or infused in aioli to drizzle over garlicky french fries.
The Spicy TRUFF Mayo leverages red jalapeños for a subtle heat. Spread it on your burgers, slather it on street corn, or add it to chicken salad for next-level spicy, creamy, and truffle-induced deliciousness.
TRUFF PASTA SAUCE
PHOTO: TRUFF
TRUFF offers two pasta sauces: a Black Truffle Marinara and a Black Truffle Spicy Marinara.
All of TRUFF’s sauces are vegan and gluten-free, and layer the delicate flavors of ripe tomatoes, delicate herbs, black winter truffle, and red chili peppers. The Black Truffe Marinara is subtly spicy and works wonderfully as an umami-rich pasta sauce that won’t require standing over a simmering pan for hours.
TRUFF’s Black Truffle Spicy Marinara sauce kicks the heat with all that warming tomato and chili goodness. Use this as a bed for freshly fried arancini or substitute it into grandma’s lasagna recipe. Whether or not she approves, she’s sure to find it mouthwatering.
TRUFF SALT
PHOTO: TRUFF
TRUFF’s Black Truffle Salt is the most versatile of their offerings, mainly because it’s not spicy.
Have we talked enough about french fries yet? Toss this on french fries—or homemade popcorn—to elevate your finger food. You can use this truffle salt in place of traditional salt in pretty much any meal for an added layer of earthen goodness.
How Does TRUFF Compare to Other Hot Sauces?
- Texture: TRUFF is just slightly thicker than ketchup, meaning it’s a lot thicker than hot sauces like Cholula and Tabasco. It’s one of the thicker hot sauces we’ve tried.
- Flavor: TRUFF is infused with truffles, of course, and that’s what makes this hot sauce unique. The truffle flavors might not marry well with every meal, so use it intentionally.
- Heat: TRUFF’s original hot sauces are between 2,500 and 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, meaning they’re about as spicy as your standard restaurant tabletop hot sauces (think Cholula and Tapatío).
- Price: TRUFF’s hot sauces are pricy. A 6-ounce bottle of TRUFF Original Hot Sauce goes for $17.98, while the same size of the TRUFF White Hot Sauce goes for $34.99. This stuff is not for chiliheads on a budget.
- Packaging: TRUFF’s hot sauces are wrapped up in ultra-luxurious packaging that almost resembles a high-end department store perfume. Such an aesthetically pleasing condiment would make a perfect gift for your fanciest foodie friend.
The Bottom Line
A hot sauce so engrained into TikTok and celebrity culture is bound to make serious hot sauce fanatics skeptical, so we sought out answers. Is TRUFF hot sauce worth the hype?
Its signature truffle flavors, delicate heat, and beautiful packaging make this one a win. So yes, TRUFF is worth the hype.
Excuse us while we reach for a bottle of ours.
Sources
[1] “Oprah’s Favorite Things 2021: The Full List.” Oprah.com, 2021.
[2] “ALL TRUFF.” Truff.com.
