Five Most Expensive Plant-based Edible Items In The World: You Have To Be Rich To Try Them
For people who relish fine dining and choose quality over quantity, explore some luxurious foods that you should try once in your lifetime.
Price and quality are not always synonymous when it comes to food, and there are plenty of delicacies that do not pose a threat to your savings. But some food items should be referred to as small luxuries, and a few people, only the rich ones, can savor them throughout their lives. We have created a list of some very expensive plant-based foods that can break your bank.
Saffron: Costs more than Rs 7 lakh (around $10,000) per kg.
Saffron, also known as ‘Red Gold,’ is the thread-like crimson red stigma obtained from a crocus flower. This spice is often used in recipes as a coloring agent. Saffron is expensive because crocuses bloom for only one or two weeks, in a year, during autumn; and harvesting the vivid red stigma is largely labor intensive (it is manually collected and processed); and each flower offers three stigmas only.
White Truffles: Costs nearly Rs 1.5 lakh (around $2100) per kg.
Piedmont white truffle, commonly known as Italian white truffle, is the most superior and exclusive variety of truffle. It is cultivated in northern Italy and demands specific growing conditions to flourish. Northern Italy’s Piedmont region is highly esteemed for growing white truffles, and they are rarer than the other varieties of truffles. White truffles are popular for possessing an intense aroma and unique flavor.
The most expensive and rarest variety of coffee is prepared from coffee beans that are obtained from the civet’s (a small Asian cat) feces. The civets consume the coffee berries and discharge the whole beans because they fail to digest them, and workers gather their droppings. Their feces are properly washed, dried, and roasted to obtain Kopi Luwak coffee.
Matsutake Mushroom: Costs between Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh ($1,000 to $2,000) per pound
This variety of mushrooms is the most expensive of all, and it grows in the Tamba region of Japan. Its cultivation marks the advent of autumn, and it is a beloved ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It is expensive because Matsutake mushrooms are difficult to procure and are very fragile.
Tahitian Vanilla: Costs around Rs 49,000 (nearly $600) per pound
The humble vanilla is one of the world’s most labor-intensive crops. Vanilla pods are grown employing the technique of hand pollination, and Tahitian vanilla is considered the best of all. Tahitian vanilla beans exude a complex flavor with hints of anise, cherry, and plum. When this variety of vanilla is used in foods, they offer a super smooth texture.
If you haven’t tried anything from this list yet, it is time to save up and delight your taste buds.
