5 of the most expensive foods in the world

When Malaysians are asked what they consider expensive food, their answers vary greatly.

To those living in abject poverty, tucking into a fast-food meal is likely considered a luxury, while others may dismiss it as nothing more than cheap junk food.

However, there are some food products on the market that almost everyone would agree bear price tags that would make their eyes bulge in disbelief.

These gastronomic treasures are often priced that way due to their rarity and exclusive tastes.

So, what are these luxury foods that only the richest of the rich can afford to savour without draining their savings account? Would you pay good money for these even if you had the means?

Here are five of the world’s most expensive foods that would make your wallet beg for mercy:

1. Saffron

Should you ever be served a pricey plate of rice tinged a bright yellow, there is a strong chance that a few strands of saffron were used in it.

There is a reason why the spice is called “Red Gold” by some, with its brilliant red hue resulting in its use as a colouring agent in food and textiles.

Just how pricey is it? Well, in Malaysia, a kilogramme of saffron can set you back between RM28,000 and RM32,000!

But why is it so expensive, you ask? It’s simple.

The flowers from which saffron comes from only bloom for a week or two each year during autumn.

During this period, saffron must be harvested individually by hand from each flower.

It is so labour intensive that to produce a kilogramme of saffron, workers will have to go through as many as 300,000 flowers.

2. Caviar

Fish roe is a delicacy for Malaysians, with local fishmongers often selling them for exorbitant prices.

However, caviar tends to blow the average fish roe out of the water not only in terms of taste but also price.

Considered one of the world’s culinary treasures, caviar is the pickled roe of the sturgeon fish; and the best caviar comes from the beluga sturgeon native to the Caspian and the Black Sea.

Of all the caviars though, White Pearl Albino Caviar remains among the most expensive, with one kilogramme of the stuff costing a whopping RM48,500.

That steep price does not even hold a candle to the caviar listed in the Guinness World Record; a kilogramme of that one was sold for an eye-popping RM142,400.

3. Wagyu beef

Wagyu, or “Japanese beef” is the luxury meat product of four different breeds of cows reared in Japan.

People tend to confuse the luxury meats of Kobe beef with Wagyu beef. To set things straight, Kobe beef is simply a type of Wagyu beef.

Coated with a layer of fat, Wagyu beef is said to turn tender, moist and almost melts in the mouth after being cooked.

Compared to fish by some, the reason why a cut of Wagyu beef is so expensive is due to the strict standards of rearing and feeding the cows.

Thinking of making yourself a burger with Wagyu beef? Then be prepared to burn a hole in your pocket, as a kilogramme of the prized meat costs RM2,000.

4. Kopi Luwak

This is a type of coffee that even Malaysians have heard of due to the fact that it is widely produced in neighbouring Indonesia.

Kopi luwak, sometimes called civet coffee, is produced when the Asian palm civet eats coffee beans, then digests them before defecating them.

While it may not sound appetising at all, people believe that the acidity of the civet’s digestive tract improves the coffee’s flavour.

Prices of this strange type of coffee differ based on where the coffee beans were collected; farmed beans cost over RM400 per kilogramme, while 1kg of beans collected in the wild cost over RM5,000.

It should be noted however that some civet farms have been reported to be horrendous places where civets are force-fed beans to produce more of the pricey coffee.

So, do drink responsibly and know where your coffee comes from.

5. White truffle

Truffles in general are known to be pieces of edible luxury, but the white truffle in particular stands above its brethren in terms of rarity and price.

They can only be found growing in a region of northern Italy, nestled among the roots of certain trees.

Due to their intense flavour and aroma, they are highly priced, doubly so as it is not possible to cultivate or grow them on farms.

With the white truffle found only in the wilderness, it takes a lot of effort to find and harvest them and they are thus, the rarest of the rare.

At present, the biggest sum paid for a single piece of white truffle is over RM1 million, with the pricey fungus weighing in at just 1.5kg.

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