8 extra-premium ingredients and how to tell them apart

These days, premium ingredients like caviar and foie gras are mere clicks away from your doorstep. Yet how can one tell that they’re getting their money’s worth? The Peak enlists industry experts for advice on how to identify the best-quality ingredients.

01: Abalone
Japanese restaurant Nami’s head chef, Shigeo Akiba, states that the best abalone should have firm flesh that's sweet and briny. They should be about 20cm in size, and be eight to ten years of age, as taste can deteriorate with further aging.

Different types of abalone also differ in preparation. Ezo Abalone is popular as a sashimi dish due to its firmness. Chef Akiba’s preference is to use the Megai variety for steamed or sauteed dishes due to its yielding meat. Kuro Awabi (black abalone) is popular for its sweet, delicate flavour and chewiness.
02: Wasabi
Mention wasabi and the first thing that may come to mind is the green paste often served from a tube alongside sushi in Japanese cuisine. However, wasabi should be freshly prepared as the potency of its flavours fades within 15 minutes.

The best wasabi is harvested within 18 to 24 months after germination. Chef Shigeo Akiba says that it should be consistently light green, aromatic and less spicy compared to horseradish. Shark skin graters should be used in lieu of metal counterparts because the latter may impart a metallic tang. The chef also likes to chop grated wasabi to bring out a spicier flavour.
03: Foie Gras
Foie gras comes in two main types: duck and goose. However, chef Sebastien Lepinoy of Les Amis says that duck is best seared due to its firmness. On the other hand, its goose counterpart should be served cold as a terrine because it is more delicate and unctuous.

As Lepinoy says, “a good foie gras should be firm and light-coloured, between white to yellow shade, with no trace of “hematoma” or green spots (that consist of bile from the gall bladder).”

The best foie is often harvested in autumn and Vendee in France is the chef’s preferred source of fatty liver. The traditional method of gavage, as opposed to modern day methods which do away with force-feeding, is favoured by LePinoy so that it maintains the quality and taste of foie gras. Top grade foie gras should have a mildly sweet yet rich flavour, with a silky texture that melts in your mouth. It should also result in a clean cut when slicing due to the firmness of the liver.

PHOTO: The Business Times/Osteria Art
04: Caviar
With a resemblance to tiny, edible pearls, caviar should range from a dark grey to brownish colour. According to chef Marco Guccio of Zafferano, it is slick and a delicate, slightly bitter flavour with a light, creamy and nutty aftertaste. He adds that each caviar grain should be soft and approximately two to three millimetres wide.
05: Balsamic Vinegar
For balsamic vinegar enthusiasts, location names such as Modena and Reggio Emilia may ring a bell. Credited as the place of origin, they are known for producing top quality vinegars with dark brown hues and intense flavours.

The ideal balsamic vinegar should be bittersweet, slightly sour with a delicate aroma and a woody overtone, chef Marco says. Like wine, it becomes finer with age as it turns sweeter, more concentrated and viscous.
06: Olive Oil
Although olive oil is a natural flavour booster, it should allow the taste of the main ingredients to shine through.

Restaurateur-chef of il Lido Group, Beppe De Vito opines that the best way to serve olive oil is “poured over a warm slice of Altamura bread (like we do at Braci). Both compliment each other in a way no other ingredient does.”
07: Truffle
White truffle season is upon us. If there was one word to sum up truffles, it is "aroma". The best place to get truffles, according to chef Beppe, would be Southern Piedmont for white truffles, central Italy for black autumn truffles and Perigord and Manjimup for black winter truffles.

White truffles are best used raw, shaved over chilled or warm food while black truffles are best used when cooked into sauces to give a distinctive, earthy flavor.
08: Chocolate
In chef Pang Kok Keong of Antoinette’s words, “like food, chocolate is subjective.” However, his personal favourite would be Manjari from French chocolate manufacturer Valrhona because of it’s complex, fruity taste with a long cocoa finish. He also prefers using dark chocolates with a minimum cocoa content of 60%. This ensures that the sweetness does not overpower the taste of cocoa.

Top quality chocolate should break with a clean snap and produce a light sheen. Dark chocolate, in particular, should come with a complex note, a clean taste and a long cocoa finish. Chocolate made from single or mixed blend beans can be equal in quality as long as it is properly processed.