We like the good things in life, but a $300,000 caviar? Mushrooms foraged by pigs that will run you around $300/ounce? Sometimes you just have to suspend disbelief and wonder who the heck is buying this stuff. File this one under knowledge you never thought you’d need to know, but will use at your next cocktail party.
All foodies know, a dish is only as good as the quality of the ingredients. And these days, the price of our food is a hot topic. So, if you want to feel better about your $7 carton of eggs, might we suggest taking a look at the most expensive foods in the world? From ultra-rare truffles to gold-infused caviar, these goods make up the world of fine dining.
Strottarga Bianco Caviar
The top dog of luxury foods, Strottarga Bianco is dubbed the “white gold of caviar”. That’s probably because it’s literally mixed with 22-carat gold. Created by Austrian fish farmer Walter Gruell, the caviar goes for over $100,000 per kilogram. And that’s the wholesale price– us normal folks can expect to pay closer to $300,000. It’s made with the eggs of albino sturgeon, a highly rare species that takes 10-35 years to reach maturity. First, during the farmers’ season, dehydrate and finely grate the eggs. Then, they add the gold flakes to create a luminescent powder-like product. If traditional caviar is more up your alley, you can opt for white albino caviar at $23,000 per kilogram. You know, for a budget-friendly option.
Wagyu Kobe
If Strottargo Bianco is the gold of caviar, think of Kobe as the champagne-meets-Birkin bag of beef. Stick with us. In order for Kobe to be Kobe, it must be certified as authentic, born and processed in a specific region, and have a certain look. The cows come from Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan and eat a diet optimal for fat content. Kobe’s regulations, as high maintenance as they may be, result in a highly rare, luxurious cut of meat, known for its signature marbling. It only makes sense that a single ounce of Wagyu Kobe can cost between $30-80, depending on where you’re purchasing it from. Add in the fact that Kobe beef can only be sold by certified members of the Kobe Beef Association, and your best bet is to order the cut from your favorite steak house.
White Truffles
Would this really be a list of the most expensive foods in the world if it didn’t include truffles? Alba truffles, AKA white truffles, come from Piedmont, Italy. Due to the soil conditions white truffles need, they can only be found in a very specific region of the Alba woods. This concentrated production, combined with its unique richness and flavor, makes it the rarest, most expensive truffle in the world. It’s also known for its impressive size– a 3.3 lb white truffle was once auctioned off for $330,000. Typically, an ounce of Alba truffles will go for somewhere between $150-300, depending on the season. And it makes sense why, considering the labor of love that goes into collecting these precious fungi. Teams of professional truffle hunters and their dogs locate each truffle, an intense process that takes years of training.
Jamon Iberico de Bellota
Often, the priciest ingredient is time. Whether it’s waiting for a specific season, allowing livestock to mature, or engaging in a lengthy production process– time is often what makes luxury foods so pricey. Take Iberico ham for example. The Iberian delicacy comes from the legs of a black pig, which matures for months before curing for an additional two to four years. While Iberico ham is undeniably a delicacy, Iberico de Bellota is the next step up, sometimes costing twice as much as the standard cut. The difference is all in the diet– Bellota hams eat acorns rather than corn and typical feed. This antioxidant-rich regimen allows for an even longer curing process. It all results in an ultra-rich, deeply marbled leg of ham, which gets shaved into paper-thin slices. A pound of Bellota ham typically costs between $230 and $245.
