The Untold Truth Of TRUFF Hot Sauce
With their viral black truffle condiment, TRUFF hot sauce has taken both the internet and spice lovers' hearts by storm. This massively popular hot sauce comes in three varieties: White Truffle, Hotter, and The Original.
TRUFF was a result of founders Nick Ajluni and Nick Guillen's shared Instagram account, @sauce. According to Forbes, the two friends, who met at a college party, would post content of rappers and women posing with "food doused in sauce." The idea for creating their own product, which they now use the @sauce account for, did not come until later. Both Ajluni and Guillen enjoyed nightlife and dining, which sparked their friendship, and they told Forbes that creating their own hot sauce felt "most culturally relevant to the [Instagram] account."
As put in the company's Instagram bio, TRUFF is "The sauce that we wanted didn't exist." Not only were Ajluni and Guillen successful in the execution of their sauce, but also in the branding of it. We're here to tell you why exactly TRUFF hot sauce hits the way that it does.
It contains real truffles for an affordable price
The company's three hot sauce varieties — White Truffle, Hotter, and The Original — all cost $17.98 per bottle on its website. You can also purchase a variety pack, which contains all three, for $69.99. Both the Hotter and The Original are infused with black truffle essence and the White Truffle is infused with white truffle essence.
Though their prices might seem a bit steep for some hot sauce, keep in mind that there is real truffle in all the condiments. Summer black truffles typically cost a little less than $400 per pound, and other types of black truffle can sell for even more.
PepperScale describes the sauce as a "well-balanced, medium heat hot sauce featuring a delicious truffle flavor." The reviewer points out how this taste is not overwhelming, but it is still definitely present.
In fact, a con it gives the product is that its truffle flavor isn't for everyone. But if the unique truffle "essence" is what you're looking for, you're going to get exactly that.
The brand carries other types of sauces
As briefly mentioned before, TRUFF founders Ajluni and Guillen had many different interests before launching their own hot sauce line. So it's only natural they went on to also release their own mayo, pasta sauce, and oil. All of these items contain truffle, of course.
The mayo comes in two varieties: TRUFF Mayo and Spicy TRUFF Mayo, which would appeal to those who are fans of the hot sauce. The pasta sauce also comes in two variations: Black Truffle Pomodoro and Black Truffle Arrabbiata, which are both delicious on all types of pasta. Lastly, you heard of olive oil and avocado oil, but have you ever heard of Black Truffle Oil? This finishing oil, though on the pricier side at $24.99 per 6-ounce bottle, is perfect for drizzling onto fries and salads.
And if you're looking for TRUFF swag, you can purchase that on their online store as well. Right now, there is a TRUFF hoodie that you can buy, which has many customer reviews praising its quality and comfort.
It has a lot of celebrity fans
Since it was founded in late 2017, TRUFF has accumulated quite the celebrity following from talk show hosts to social media influencers (via Forbes). All have a shared love for TRUFF, and it's not hard to see why.
One of TRUFF's earliest and most famous fans is Oprah herself. The talk show host featured TRUFF's products on her "Favorite Things" list for 2019 and 2018, stating on her magazine that "The packaging is cool, the hot sauce is sublime!" (via Oprah Daily). Other famous fans include rapper Pusha T and chef Tyler Florence, according to In the Know.
Though TRUFF came out of a popular Instagram account, the product is also thriving on TikTok. One celebrity on the social media platform, Auntie Amanda Lee, counts herself a fan of TRUFF's products, as shown in her video review of the different hot sauce varieties. When your favorite creators are raving about TRUFF's products, it's hard not to not be curious about the hype.
It recently collaborated with Taco Bell
For a limited time, customers could grab TRUFF Nacho Fries and a Loaded TRUFF Fries Burrito during their next Taco Bell run, according to Food Network. This partnership ran from August 17 to August 31, 2021 and was only available at one location in Newport Beach, California.
Taco Bell's popular nacho cheese sauce got a spicy upgrade with the addition of TRUFF hot sauce. This gave the cheese an extra kick that those with a knack for spice will enjoy. The Nacho Fries were doused in this sauce, and the Loaded TRUFF Fries Burrito was essentially the same dish but wrapped in a warm tortilla for more portable snacking.
Taco Bell is known for successfully collaborating with brands such as Doritos to create iconic products that customers love. So we're hoping that these two limited edition products eventually join the menu as permanent staples. We're hoping for more TRUFF and Taco Bell collaborations going forward!
It has a huge social media following
TRUFF truly has its social media following down to a science. On Instagram, it has the handle @sauce with nearly 200,000 followers. The popular account was once home to content unrelated to TRUFF before the hot sauce was created, but the sauce's founders smartly transitioned the account into a brand page. it now frequently posts product photos and information, along with recipes that can be created with them.
A common question the founders get was how they even managed to get this username, which they tell Highsnobiety is a "trade secret." The brand also has the same username on TikTok, where it also posts company updates along with videos that put their own truffle-y twist on popular trends such as, "If You Know Your Boyfriend, Which Sauce Is He Getting?"
Furthermore, Snapchat spotlighted the company for its usage of the app's business features, which helped grow its company by 34.67% in return on ad spend compared to other platforms. In addition to making a delicious and well-regarded luxury hot sauce with a relatively affordable price point, TRUFF's marketing team truly has a grip on video and story advertisements, which has helped the company become the sensation it is today.