Truffles, part of a genes Tuber species of fungus, are highly prized and often used in fine Italian, French and western cuisines. They are believed to be cultivated and harvested from natural environments, as such they command premium prices.
One local seller specialising in truffle-related snacks and food products, Aroma Truffle has recently launched its own version of truffle gelato, claiming to be the first brand to create pre-packaged gelato topped with real truffles, making it affordable to everyone.
According to Kayson Chan, Co-Founder and Marketing & Business Development Director of Aroma Truffle, “We are not the only ones in Singapore who make truffle gelato. However, truffle gelato is typically served as a speciality dish in fine dining restaurants. As we all know, a truffle is highly valued due to its extremely short shelf life. We wanted to create a decent truffle experience that is affordable and can be enjoyed anywhere.”
Kayson said that in the Singapore market, gelato or ice cream with truffles usually retails at S$68 (US$49.25) per 500g pint, whereas Aroma Truffle’s pint with the same weight retails at only S$28 (US$20.28).
“We can scale because we play the volume game and liaise directly with the truffle farm in Italy. Other firms usually have a 3rd party involved, driving up the prices. We do not want to offer a mediocre product. In fact, we want customers to see the truffles visibly. We want to democratise the market so that even the general consumer can access such a luxurious product,” added Kayson.
The company hopes to attract aspiring millennials and Gen Zs who frequent hipster coffee joints and working adults aged 24 to 49 to purchase the gelato line. Presently, the indulgent dairy-free product is available exclusively in Singapore at the firm’s retail outlets in Jewel Changi Airport and Chinatown Point, as well as its e-commerce platform.
Apart from the gelato, Aroma Truffle boasted of 15 SKUs innovated from the luxurious truffle and these include food products from potato chips to butter, dipping sauces and mooncakes amongst others. The company sees the strong potential in both domestic and Asian international market for food products using truffles. Kayson said, “”There is a gap in Asia on the consumption of truffles. It is something new and worth spreading. To the Italians, harvesting ingredients, preparing and presenting the final dish demonstrated their passion and a form of refined art.” A visit at a Spoleto truffle farm uncovers the hard work, discipline and artisanship involved which make truffles a highly-valued product.
The company’s first ever seasonal dairy-free truffle gelato is topped with hand-shaved seasonal Black Summer truffles air-flown from Spoleto, Umbria, in central Italy. This year, the firm manufactured 1,000 tubs at its plant in Senoko, Singapore for the domestic market. As of mid-June, half the inventory has been snapped up. According to Kayson, the gelato idea was conceptualised in late 2021, followed by a 6-month research and development (R&D) period. The vanilla base is made from the finest Malagasy vanilla beans swirled with hand-chopped macadamia nuts and Bolivian pink salt, creating the umami balance. Kayson said, “There is a misconception that good gelato can’t melt easily. However, when we added the truffle, the gelato melted faster.”
Aroma Truffle plans to launch different flavours of gelato using different seasonal truffles such as black winter truffles and white truffles in the near future. The white truffle, for instance has a complex and pronounced flavour with earthy notes of garlic, honey and the forest floor.
The firm hopes to grow the truffle gelato business by 20% year-on-year and produce single-serve smaller tubs to make it even more affordable and accessible to consumers. For export, it plans to test the Taiwanese and South Korean markets by 2023 or 2024. It aims to manufacture one container or around 20,000 small tubs for the export markets.
