We all like a touch of luxury from time to time. There are some dishes and food items
that are known for being so expensive many of us probably won’t have even heard of,
never mind tried! To be honest, some of the dishes and food items don’t even sound all
that appealing, but if the rich and famous enjoy them then why not. Here is a rundown
of the top 10 most expensive foods in the world.
Caviar
Caviar is something that we’ve all heard of at
some point in our lives, but very few of us will get the chance to try it due to how expensive
it is. That and let’s face it, the idea of fish eggs isn’t really all that appealing.
However, the rich and famous certainly seem to love it so there must be something appealing
about it, right? Caviar comes from the sturgeon, but what many people don’t know is that
there are only three species of sturgeon that produce these eggs; the Beluga, the Sevruga,
and the Osetra. If the fact that caviar is harvested eggs didn’t tip you off that this
might be a controversial food, let’s just lay it out for you this way: Beluga sturgeon
are highly endangered due to the practice, and importing their caviar into the US has
been illegal for some years now. Despite that, more than 60% of the caviar in the world is
imported into the United States. Another surprising fact about caviar is that ninety-five percent
of it actually comes from the Caspian Sea. If you do manage to come across some, you
have to be very careful when serving it. If it is served from a metal spoon then the eggs
will actually take on a metallic taste. This is why when you see caviar being served on
television it is usually served in a glass or crystal bowl. So, there is actually logic
to it, not just because it’s an expensive food. If you think that caviar might be to
your tastes, then do make sure that it is served on ice!
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White Truffles
Truffles, in general, are well-known for being a luxury food item. However, what you may
not know is that there are actually multiple varieties of truffles out there. One of the
most expensive is the white truffle. The black truffle can be found in the UK, the US, and
France. However, the white truffle can only be found in certain areas of Italy. Typically,
they will be found in areas of woodland. The ancient Greeks believed that white truffles
came about when lightning hit wet soil. The average price for white truffles is between
$1000 and $2000 per pound. As you can imagine, a meal containing white truffles is definitely
going to set you back a bit. Considering there is very little supply and demand for white
truffles due to the expense involved, there isn’t really a set price for them, but you
can expect to pay a lot of money, that’s for sure.
Japanese Wagyu Steak
Steak is probably the one dish that we can all agree on no matter where in the world
we are, is absolutely delicious if cooked right. If you are a bit of a steak connoisseur
then you will know that there are different cuts and they all range in quality, texture,
and taste. If you are in Britain, a rump steak is a good option. In the US, a ribeye is a
great cut to consider. In Japan, however, you will get one of the best quality steaks
in the world. The Japanese Wagyu Steak is one of the most expensive cuts of meat. This
particular cut is known for having the second highest marbling in the world. When you consider
the fact that the bull calves that this meat comes from get treated to beer, massages and
listen to classical music, this will come as no surprise. Clearly pampering the bulls
makes a difference. If you want to try one of these steaks for yourself then you’d
better have deep pockets, because 1kg of this particular meat can set you back as much as
$450. It should be high quality for that price!
Fugu
If you’re a fan of The Simpsons, then you will have heard of the Fugu. In the episode
featuring the Fugu, Homer orders it from a Japanese menu and ends up being poisoned.
Fugu is a traditional Japanese dish, but one that really can kill you, because this unique
pufferfish contains a toxin more powerful than cyanide and one pufferfish contains enough
of the toxin to kill thirty people. As you can imagine, in order to prepare this deadly
dish, Japanese chefs must go through a minimum of two years of training and must have a license
to be able to prepare and serve this dish. This is because only one part of the fish
contains the toxin, so trained chefs are able to prepare the raw fish dish while avoiding
the toxicity. Only small numbers of chefs are trained with enough skill required to
cut the fish properly, which as you can imagine, makes this particular delicacy very expensive
indeed.
Birds Nest Soup
When it comes to Chinese culture, some of the traditions are pretty different than what
the Western world expects. Their cuisine is very interesting, and there are certainly
some delicious Chinese dishes to try. One of the dishes that you may have heard of,
in terms of Chinese food, is Birds Nest Soup. This is one of the most expensive and luxury
dishes that China has to offer. To put it simply, this soup is made from birds’ nests
that can be found hanging from caves. What makes the nests so appealing for soup is the
birds’ saliva. Yes, you heard right. I can’t say that I would want
to try this myself, but it is certainly a delicacy in a lot of Asian countries. If you
want to try Birds Nest Soup for yourself, then you can expect to pay at least $100 for
one serving. Apparently, the birds nest itself doesn’t really taste of anything in particular,
and it has a fairly gelatinous texture. However, it is an ancient Chinese tradition and one
that is very important in their culture, hence the expensive price tag.
Maitake Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a little like Marmite; you either love them or you hate them. There are thousands
of different species and they are very popular in Asian countries. Some mushrooms, however,
are far more expensive than others, and one of these is the Maitake mushroom. These highly
sought-after fungi can be found in Japan and China as well as more recently, the United
States. Typically, these mushrooms are found at the base of oak trees. However, there are
only certain countries that you will find them growing in, like the Italian white truffle.
In Japanese, the name Maitake means ‘dancing mushroom’. However, this delicacy also goes
by other names such as the Sheep’s Head Mushroom and The King of Mushrooms because
of how big it can grow. Studies have shown that the Maitake mushroom can protect against
certain types of cancer, provide a generous amount of vitamin D, and boost the immune
system. With all of these health benefits, it is easy to see why the Maitake mushroom
is so expensive and sought after. To get hold of some of these yourself, you can expect
to pay up to one thousand dollars. That is one expensive stir fry!
Densuke Watermelon
There are certain fruits that are more expensive than others. This makes sense when you consider
the fact that some of them can only be imported from certain countries and can be quite hard
to get a hold of. However, one of the fruits that really is shockingly expensive is the
Densuke watermelon, also known as the Black Watermelon. While your traditional watermelon
has a green stripy rind, the Densuke watermelon instead is totally black. The fruit inside
is still the same bright pink-red, but it is reportedly much sweeter than the standard
watermelon. There are a number of reasons as to why this particular fruit treat is so
expensive, but one of the main reasons is the fact that the only place that grows this
type of watermelon is a place called Hokkaido in Japan. Reportedly, the island produces
10,000 of these watermelons every year. In a department store, you can expect to pay
anything up to $200 for one Densuke melon. As you can imagine, that is a huge amount
of yearly income for the island of Hokkaido! It would have to be a very special watermelon
indeed for me to justify spending two hundred dollars, that’s for certain.
Yubari King Melon
If you thought that the island of Hokkaido in Japan was making some serious money from
their Densuke watermelon, then you will definitely be shocked by this entry. Also grown in greenhouses
in Hokkaido is the Yubari King Melon, and this one is far more expensive than the Densuke.
The Yubari King is actually a hybrid of two other types of cantaloupe melon, and this
one is so highly sought after and so expensive that it is often gifted by the wealthy and
elite in Japan. This is a fruit so exclusive that they are often auctioned off to the highest
bidder. Back in 2008, a single pair of Yubari King melons sold at auction for a whopping
2.5 million Yen. If you thought this was insanity, then you’ll be even more surprised to learn that
in 2013, a bidder at an auction in Amagasaki bought a pair of these melons for 3 million
Yen. I don’t know about you, but even if I was rich and famous there is no way I’d
be happy paying a million Yen or any other currency for two pieces of fruit! I’d expect
them to be made of gold and diamonds for that price!
Elvish Honey
Honey is another food item that most people will either love or hate. Obviously, there
are many different varieties created by different species of honey bees in different parts of
the world, and some are more expensive than others. One of the most expensive types of
honey is Elvish Honey. This particular type of honey is harvested from caves in Turkey
deep underground. Back in 2009, Günay Gündüz, a Turkish beekeeper, stated that he saw lots
of bees coming and going from a cave on a mountain. When he followed them in, he was
shocked to discover many honeycombs hanging from the walls and roof of the cave. With
some professional climbers in tow and a lot of rope, he managed to harvest 18kg of wild
honey. Apparently, this particular type of honey has proven very popular with Chinese
drug companies who have bought it in bulk. Reportedly, the honey is seven years old and
packed full of healthy minerals from the cave itself. Regardless, if you wanted to buy some
of this magical honey, you can expect to pay an eye-watering $47,000 for roughly 2.2 pounds
of it. Those are some very talented honey bees indeed.
Saffron
When it comes to herbs and spices, there are some that are naturally going to be more expensive
than others, but for the most part, you aren’t going to break the bank by trying to get hold
of some. Unless, that is, you are planning on buying some saffron. Produced from the
Crocus flower, it is estimated that 14,000 stigmas will produce only one ounce of threads
of saffron. That is not a lot when you think about the numbers properly. Fortunately, most
recipes will only call for a tiny amount of the spice due to the intense flavor, which
many people actually struggle to describe. It’s typically used to flavor rice dishes
and the like, but can also be found in ingredients for perfume, drinks and more. If you are planning
on buying some saffron for use at home, then you will be pleased to find out that it can
be purchased from most large department stores. However, don’t expect to be finding a good
deal, because for roughly a quarter of an ounce of saffron you’ll be set you back
a staggering $50. This is largely due to the amount of time and work that goes into harvesting
the stigmas and storing them correctly so that they don’t lose their flavor.
As you can see, the rich and famous really do live it up with their diets. For most of
us, a lot of the items on this list won’t even sound all that appealing, especially
when you consider the price tag attached to many of them. Of course, if you get the opportunity
then it’s always a good idea to add some of these delicacies to your bucket list of
foods to try. For most of us, this is probably the closest we are going to get to trying
any of them for ourselves unless by some miracle we become rich and famous overnight! The next
time that you get an invite to a posh event, definitely make sure you attend because you
never know what luxury food items you might find on the menu for you to try!
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