Buzz
Our sense of taste is undeniably delicate. Mark Twain surely grasped this idea when he reflected on the watermelon over a century ago:
“The true Southern watermelon is a delight unlike any other, not to be compared with ordinary fruits. It reigns supreme, a gift from God above all other fruits on Earth. Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll know what the angels savor. It wasn’t a Southern watermelon Eve ate; we know that because she regretted it.”
For ages, we’ve been celebrating extravagant foods. Here are ten indulgences that make every bite worth its weight in gold:
10. The Golden Araucana Egg
The Araucana chicken, native to Chile, produces a rare blue egg. At The Tocqueville in New York City, a single soft-poached blue egg is served on a plate with risotto (creamy Italian rice) and a choice of tagliatelle pasta or homemade gnocchi (dumplings made from flour, potato, or cheese). This dish is priced at $100, thanks to the lavish topping of purple Perigord truffles (see #4).
9. Yubari King Melons
The Yubari King melon is a hybrid cantaloupe, created by crossing the Earl’s Favorite and Burpee varieties, or spicy cantaloupes. These hybrids are exclusively cultivated in greenhouses in Yubari, located on Hokkaido Island, Japan. The melon’s flavor is an ideal blend of the sweet, smooth Earl’s Favorite, enhanced by the Burpee’s extra sweetness. The taste is often described as cantaloupe on the initial bite, followed by watermelon in the middle, and a lingering pineapple finish.
You can grow this hybrid yourself, but it’s only considered a true Yubari King if cultivated in Yubari. While an average melon may cost between $50 and $100, the first, perfectly round melons of the season can fetch as much as $26,000 at auction.
8. Hop Shoots
Hop flowers are essential in the brewing of beer. Hop plants grow on trellises attached to overhead wires. When the plants reach the end of their trellis, they sprout horizontal shoots, which grow into bines (not vines), and the flowers appear at their tips. Hop shoots are among the fastest-growing plants, reaching 8 to 20 inches a week.
To harvest the shoots before they flower, they must be picked between March and April each year. The initial harvests are highly anticipated, often auctioned off, and typically cost around 1,000 Euros per kilogram ($1,250 per 2.2 pounds).
7. Margo’s Golden Pizza
Gold is edible. While it doesn’t provide nutrition, it’s completely safe as long as you don’t swallow it whole. For the affluent, it’s the ultimate symbol of wealth. Margo’s Pizzeria, located in Malta, offers a pizza topped with white truffles and decorated with gold leaf. Truffles are the fruiting bodies of subterranean mushrooms, and the rarest and most expensive of them all are white truffles, also known as Alba madonna. Their flavor is elusive and complex, described by one critic as, “like mold. Garlic. Natural gas. Cheesy. Oniony, but not oniony. Cabbagey. Earthy. Heavenly.”
Margo’s then slices several white truffles onto a 14-inch pizza, which is topped with mozzarella made from Campanian water buffaloes, known as mozzarella formaggio di bufala Campana. These buffaloes roam the western coast of Italy, from Rome to Campania, particularly near Naples. The pizza is finished with a generous sprinkle of 24-carat gold flakes. Margo’s advises against adding tomatoes, as their acidity can overpower the delicate taste of the truffles. Priced at 1,800 Euros (around $2,400 in 2011).
6. Romanee-Conti Grand Cru (Wine)
The title of the world's most expensive wine often changes due to the fact that wine is considered a luxury item for the wealthy. Some years, it’s awarded to Henri Jayer Richebourg's Grand Cru, but Domaine de la Romanee-Conti has consistently been one of the highest-priced and valued wines on the market.
Vintages can differ greatly from year to year, influenced by factors like temperature, humidity, and rainfall. The Domaine spans just 4 acres, producing around 3,500 bottles annually, with only 500 of those being the Grand Cru. The 2005 vintage is particularly noteworthy, with a case of 12 bottles averaging 7,400 GBP ($11,800), which means each bottle costs $983 or $245 per glass. Even the 2005 vintage is considered a moderate quality among the great years, with one bottle of the 1990 vintage fetching $10,953 in May 2011 – equivalent to $2,738 per glass.
The Domaine’s tasting notes are highly guarded, as the very thought of its taste could be enough to prevent some affluent buyers from spending the money. However, some details have emerged online: ‘The 2005 reds are youthful, tight, and undeveloped, yet their character shines through. They have an abundance of sweet red fruit, ripe but firm tannins, a delicate oak influence, vibrant acidity, and a mouthfeel that starts off smooth and sensuous, only to explode at the finish with richness and refreshment. Sip, swallow, and wait for two minutes, and the taste lingers. It almost seems to pull your tongue out like Cupid in his most playful mood.’
5. Angelito Araneta, Jr.'s Sushi Roll
VVS pearls, which are just one grade below 'flawless,' are about the size of garden peas. These pearls can either be eaten or kept for resale. However, Araneta fails to mention that each pearl is wrapped in luxurious 24-carat gold leaf.
4. La Madeleine au Truffe
A chocolate truffle is typically a small ganache coated in chocolate, though fillings such as cream and jelly are also common. The Cadbury egg is likely the most recognizable truffle in America.
The Madeleine Truffle features a genuine Perigord truffle at its core. Grown in the Perigord region of southwestern France, these truffles cost around 3,940 Euros per kilogram (roughly $5,122 for 2.2 pounds). The Perigord truffle is coated in 70% dark Valrhona chocolate, blended with sugar, heavy cream, Indonesian vanilla, and authentic Italian white truffle oil, forming the ganache. The truffle is then dusted with extra cocoa powder.
Knipschildt, a Master Chocolatier based in Norwalk, Connecticut, handcrafts each truffle to order, priced at $250 for a 2-ounce truffle, equating to $2,000 per pound. These luxury truffles are shipped globally from his Chocopologie store within 14 days, free of additional shipping costs. Each truffle is elegantly packaged in silver boxes with silk ribbons, resting on beds of sugar pearls.
3. The Golden Opulence Sundae
This extravagant dessert is exclusively available at Serendipity 3 in New York City, a restaurant renowned for its whimsical practice of selling almost anything, including the very chair you’re sitting on. Every item in the restaurant is tagged with a price, except for the restaurant itself. Serendipity 3 is also famous for its hot dogs and frozen treats, having created this lavish sundae in 2004.
When ordering the Golden Opulence Sundae, you must provide at least 48 hours' notice to allow for the acquisition of the rare ingredients. The sundae typically contains 3 to 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream, made with beans flown in from Tahiti and Madagascar. It’s adorned with 23-karat gold leaf and topped with Amedei Porcelana, which claims to be the world’s most expensive chocolate (though this is disputed – see #4).
The sundae is then layered with candied persimmons, pineapple, peach, and currants, along with almonds coated in gold, marzipan cherries, and small pieces of criollo chocolate, which is exclusively grown on the Venezuelan coast. A fan of gold leaf is placed on top, complemented by a sprinkle of gold flakes and intricately sculpted sugar-paste flowers, a process that takes 18 hours. It is served with a 24-karat gold-plated spoon, adorned with real diamonds, which you get to keep along with the gold-lined crystal goblet, all for $1,000.
In case you’re wondering: yes, you will defecate gold.
2. Ass Cheese
No, this is not a joke – at least not intentionally. Donkeys produce milk just like cows and horses, and like any milk, it can be turned into cheese. While the name may not sound particularly appetizing, its creators claim it to be the most delicious cheese in the world, and they price it accordingly. This cheese is made exclusively from the 100 or so Balkan donkeys in the Zasavica River area of western Serbia. The high price is justified by the large quantity of milk needed: 25 liters for just one kilogram of smoked cheese.
A critic who sampled it was astounded by the intensity of the flavor. It delivers a bold, nutty sweetness reminiscent of leerdammer, which hits the palate first, and transitions into a savory, tomato-like saltiness akin to parmesan, that leaves your mouth and salivary glands tingling. However, this experience comes at a price of approximately $700 per pound.
1. Jamon Iberico de bellota
The hind legs of the pigs are salted for two weeks, followed by a curing process that lasts for three years. To prepare this delicacy, the meat is sliced thinner than bacon. It wasn’t available in America until 2007, and even then, it sold for no less than $96 per pound. One enthusiast described the taste as ‘utterly indescribable.’
The price tag of $700 per pound is well-justified, as the ham’s extraordinary flavor is a result of years of careful preparation and the pigs’ unique diet and lifestyle. Its rare quality and rich history have made it a coveted delicacy worldwide.
