Trader Joe's Truffle Aioli

Truffle season is back! And there isn't snow on the ground. Trader Joe's Truffle Aioli is new, vegan, but likely seasonal as well. This means there are three new and returning truffle products to be excited to try: Trader Joe's Truffle BBQ Sauce and the returning Trader Joe's Ketchup with Black Summer Truffles.

Review

At its most basic level aoili literally translates to garlic and oil. Frequently, it is used almost interchangeably with mayonnaise. And oftentimes if you have an aoili at a restaurant, it usually contains egg as well. That isn't the case here as this product is labeled as vegan.

This is just an emulsion of all the ingredients listed and can pretty much be used like mayo, but with the added twist of truffle. What comes through here is the tang of the mustard used to emulsify the mixture together. Garlic seems to dominate the truffle flavor. So truffle fans, they kept this flavor pretty muted. If you were looking for the taste of fresh truffles, then you might be disappointed in the fact you are tasting far more garlic.

The flavor profile of this is almost closer to Trader Joe's garlic spread, but with the consistency of mayo. Obviously, this is less assertive with the taste of fresh garlic, but depending on how you pair this will dictate how much you taste the truffle. I opted to have mine with some of Trader Joe's Handsome Cut Fries. That made the early taste of truffle more apparent.

But I would use this as a dip or condiment and pair it with something. I've had truffle mayo before and I was missing just that extra layer of mouthfeel that an egg brings to this. And yes, you could make this at home with just a little bit of black truffle oil. But all in all, this is pretty good. I can see myself slathering some of this on a sandwich too.

The packaging

Trader Joe's Truffle Aoili is in a glass jar that can be recycled.

What to serve with this

So truffle has a pretty specific and earthy flavor profile. Black truffle pairs well with the following flavors:

• bacon
• beef
• cauliflower
• chicken
• cod
• eggs
• potatoes
• mushrooms
• potatoes
• scallops
• shellfish

Overall

Considering this is a vegan aioli and not a true aioli it wasn't bad. Aoili is easy enough to make at home. But as for a quick condiment in the refrigerator, it wasn't bad either. I'm a truffle fan and I just wanted a bit more truffle here.

Would I buy this again? While I enjoyed Trader Joe's Truffle Aoili, I think one jar will get me through until next year. And I also know this could easily be made at home with a food processor or emulsion blender. I might buy one more before this product goes off of store shelves.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!