9 most expensive food items in the world

Food is our basic need, but there are some food items that are luxury. We are fascinated with anything that is considered expensive because our mind relates expensive items with good quality and amazing taste. 

But do all expensive food items are amazing?

Here is a list of the 9 most expensive food items in the world you can read and find out what is so special about them and what makes these delicacies so expensive. 

Saffron

Crocus flowers| Credit: Pexel

Saffron is a spice that is used to flavor foods and adds color to them. In the world of spices, saffron is king, and it is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Sometimes It is also used as medicine. It is obtained from the stigma of crocus flowers. 

One Kilogram of saffron can cost around $10,000. But what makes saffron so expensive? 

Around 150 saffron flowers make 1 gram of saffron. Extracting saffron strands from its flowers is a very delicate work that can be performed with the use of hands only. 

Hours of delicate human labor on it make it even more precious. To produce around 1 kilogram of saffron strands 40 hours of human labor is required. 

The land of Kashmir with red soil is suitable for the harvest of saffron plants and that’s why Kashmir produces one of the finest quality saffron. 

There is plenty of fake saffron in the market so beware when you buy it. 

Moose Cheese

Illustration purpose only

Moose cheese is produced from the milk of moose, a large deer with palmate antlers. Moose cheese costs around €1,000 ($1,074) per kilogram. It is so expensive because it is only produced in "Moose House '' or "Elk House" by Christer and Ulla Johansson in Sweden. 

Since they are available in only one place, and they are produced in limited quantities, their prices are very high. One kilogram of cheese is produced by around 2 liters of milk. 

The moose cheese is salty and bitter and the aftertaste lasts for a long time. Compared to cheese produced from cow’s milk, it is fatter and less sweet.

There are other valuables produced from moose like Moose paper. Every time a moose excretes 15 papers can be produced from it and collectors pay around $150 per paper. 

Ayam Cemani Black Chicken

The Ayam Cemani Black Chicken is literally black. The whole chicken including its feathers, beak, comb, tongue, and even bones are black. They look heavily pigmented by squid ink and that’s what makes this food item so special. 

Many varieties of black chicken are found in different countries including India, China, and America. Indonesia and Malaysia. Its price varies between $200-$1000 in different countries. However, in Malaysia, it is very common and easily available at regular prices. 

There is not much difference between the taste of regular chicken and black chicken. Black chicken is a bit sweeter in comparison, and it can be cooked in the same way. 

Matsutake Mushrooms

Matsutake Mushrooms are a very rare breed of mushrooms native to Japan and found in some other Asian countries. The mushrooms are available in September and typically grow at the base of red pine trees. 

Some mushroom lovers defined its flavor as strange. Some call it spicy and intense, but others argue that it is piney and fishy in taste. They have an intense aroma. They are very pricey, and one kilogram can cost around $600.

They are hugely considered as extravagant gift items or served as delicacies on important occasions. 

They contain all the minerals needed in a healthy diet like vitamin B, copper, protein, zinc, potassium, and selenium. Furthermore, they are low in fats and rich in dietary fibers. Matsutake mushrooms are good for digestion and help relieve constipation problems. 

The numbers of Matsutake Mushrooms are decreasing rapidly due to increasing insect attacks and invasive species acquiring their places under the tree.

Caviar

Caviar| Credit: Pexel

Caviar is exceptionally expensive, selling for around $35,000 per kilogram. Caviar is made from sturgeon fishes. They are strong and huge fishes and sturgeon fishes have 27 species around the world. Caviar is a salted roe of different species of sturgeon fishes. 

However, this delicacy was not always so expensive. In the 19th century, Sturgeon fishes were so common in America that caviar was treated more like nuts or bars distributed freely in salons or shops. They were even used to feed pigs. 

But what changed? 

In 2010, the International Union for conservation of nature marked 18 species of sturgeon on the most threatened species list. Humans have over-exploited the sturgeons and destroyed their habitats and this has led to their decreased number and revolting prices. 

The rarity of species has to lead to the extravagant prices of caviar. If continued to be exploited at the current rate they will soon become extinct. 

Swallows' Nest Soup

Illustration purpose only

Swallow Nest soups as the name suggests are made from the nest of the swallows, a bird species found around the world. It is a delicacy of China and part of their cuisine for thousands of years. 

Chinese believed that the nest soup has magical healing properties and can be used for increasing height and curing cancer. The main ingredient of the nest soup is a partially dissolved nest which is made from the saliva of the bird. 

These birds made their nests using only their saliva on cave walls or cliff sides to raise their offspring. The nests are hard to get and collecting them is dangerous, making them expensive. This expensive bird's nest leads to extravagant prices of Swallows' Nest Soup. 

A dozen of the bird’s nests can cost more than a thousand dollars. These are popularly known as the ‘ Caviar of the east’. These nests when dissolved have gelatinous textures. 

White Truffles

Truffles are like cousins of mushrooms that resemble lumpy potatoes. They look dusty and lumpy from the outside but when sliced into two the inside has a very rich and creamy texture with an amazing scent.

Truffles are very expensive. In 2014, the world’s largest truffle, weighing around 2 kg was discovered. It was flown to New York under the protection of security and sold for $61,250.

There are at least 40 species of truffles, many of which are not edible. But what makes them so expensive? They are largely dependent on weather and the climate. They have a short life span making it even rarer. 

Even with perfect conditions, truffles aren’t guaranteed, and hunting them is a time and labor-intensive process. The smell is very strong, but its taste is subtle. One kg of white truffle can be around $2,100.

Many cheap and fake versions of the truffle are available in the market so be careful. 

Foie gras

Foie gras is a specialty food made from the liver of duck or goose. They are rich and creamy in texture. But the duck or goose has to pay a very heavy price so that humans can enjoy this delicacy. 

They are forcefully fed corn with a tube inserted in their mouth. These tubes can lead to neck and mouth injuries also even resulting in broken beaks. 

This cruel practice dates back to 2500 BC, the Egyptians started forcefully feeding these innocent animals to make their liver fats. However, many countries have laws against such practices now and restrictions on the import and sale of foie gras.

Despite the cruelty involved, this food item is worth $90 per pound. One of the main reasons it is so expensive is the controversy and cruelty involved with it. 

Kopi Luwak coffee

Coffee beans| Credit: Pexel

Kopi Luwak coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. The main factor behind its high price is the uncommon way it is made. The coffee is extracted from the feces of a Civet cat, an Indonesian cat animal. It is also called cat poop coffee.

Kopi Luwak coffee is made when the Civet cat consumes coffee berries and excretes them. The feces are then collected, finished, and sold in the market as kopi luwak.   

The price of Kopi Luwak can vary between $250 to $1,200 per kilogram. It is enjoyed as a luxury in many parts of the world.