Most Expensive Mushroom
The matsutake, or mattake, mushroom is expensive because of its rarity. While its historical prevalence meant it was nearly synonymous with autumn in Japan, the introduction of an insect that kills the trees under which the mushroom grows has caused a dramatic decrease in the number of matsutake mushrooms. A method for farming the matsutake has yet to be developed, which means the lack of trees from which to harvest these mushrooms naturally is a serious problem for the species.
The world’s most expensive mushroom can be purchased for around $1,000 per pound, though prices for specific mushrooms may reach up to $2,000 per pound. It is known more for its spiced, fruity aroma than its flavor and is a cherished gift in the Japanese corporate world
Most Expensive Bagel in the World
The most expensive bagel in the world is topped with white truffle cream cheese and goji berry infused Riesling jelly with golden leaves. The bagel’s price is justified when you consider that white truffles happen to be the second most expensive food by weight, eclipsed only by caviar. The underground fungus grows only under specific oak trees in Alba, Italy. Their pheromone-like odor is considered to be an aphrodisiac and is the reason dogs and female pigs are used to hunt the precious truffle.
The goji berries are not to be passed over, either. The richest known source of beta-carotene in the world, the goji berry has a demonstrated ability to jump-start the healing process.
A portion of the proceeds from the world’s most expensive bagel will be donated to the Les Amis d’Escoffier Scholarship in order to benefit current and future culinary students. The bagel’s $1,000 price tag includes tax. It will be available through December 14th.
Most Expensive Omelette
The restaurant at Le Parker Meridien put itself on the map by offering the world’s most expensive omelette, or as they call it, “The Zillion Dollar Frittata”. This absurdly expensive breakfast item consists of a mixture of eggs, lobster and 10 ounces of sevruga caviar (which costs the restaurant $65 per ounce)…and a charge of $1000 on your bill.
For those who want a taste of the expensive omelette but prefer to not eat their money, there is scaled down version available for $100.
On the menu next to the expensive omelet there is a challenge that reads, “Norma dares you to expense this”. The general manager of Norma’s was quoted saying about the most expensive omelette, “Since we knew it was going to be a very expensive dish, we decided to have some fun with it. It’s not just a gimmick, though. It tastes good.”
Most Expensive Steaks
While Wagyu cattle are raised both in and outside Japan, the Kobe varietal which is raised specifically in the Hyogo prefecture is the most elite. Employing the most traditional production methods, Kobe beef comes from cows that are allegedly fed only beer and massaged by hand to ensure a tenderness and marbling beyond compare. These dishes can be out of range for the average restaurateur, carrying an unhealthy load of fat and a price tag to match. An eight ounce cut of Wagyu steak at Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills restaurant will cost you a whopping $160.
Most Expensive Curry
Bombay Brassiere’s head chef, Prahlad Hegde, expects to sell the dish despite the recession that makes the £2,000—over US $3,200—price tag seem ludicrous to some. Regardless of its success as a standalone dish, the hype surrounding the world’s most expensive curry will undoubtedly bring some new faces to the Brassiere.
Most Expensive Pizza
The 12 inch pizza pie is densely packed with an assortment of some of the world’s most expensive food ingredients, such as lobster marinated in cognac, caviar soaked in champagne, sunblush tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, venison medallions, prosciutto, and vintage balsamic vinegar. In addition to all these fine ingredients, it’s topped with a significant amount of edible 24-carat gold flakes.
Most Expensive Watermelon
Densuke watermelons, a type of black watermelon grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are usually given as gifts due to their extraordinary rarity. There were only sixty-five of the fruits among the first harvest this season. They are harder and crisper than the watermelons we Americans are used to and, according to Tohma Agricultural Cooperative’s spokesman, they “have a different level of sweetness.”
The largest of the sixty-five Densuke, a twenty-four pound melon, sold for $5,945. It was a seventeen pound melon, however, that was judged the best of the crop and sold at auction for $6,100. As the most expensive watermelon ever sold in Japan, it is likely also the world’s most expensive watermelon.
Most Expensive Cantaloupe
The world’s most expensive cantaloupes are a pair of Yubari melons and were the first auction of the 2008 season. They had previously been judged the best pair and were purchased by the owner of a nearby seafood lunchbox and souvenir business. It had some competition—100 melons grown by farmers from Yubari were also judged.
Yubari, while famous for its sweet and high-quality melons, used to be a coal-mining town. Unfortunately for the 12,500 inhabitants, it went bankrupt last year.
The ¥2.5 million (US $22,872.5) fetched by the most expensive cantaloupes in the world will surely be a help in Yubari’s rehabilitation.
Most Expensive Caviar in the World
The word ‘Almas’ means diamond, a fitting name for the world’s most expensive caviar. This Beluga caviar is white in appearance. The most expensive caviar comes from the Beluga Sturgeon, native to the Caspian Sea. Generally, the lighter the color of Beluga caviar the older the fish is. The word caviar comes from the Persian word “Khag-avar,” meaning “the roe-generator.” In Medieval Russia, caviar was a peasant food, but by the time Shakespeare wrote the famous, “twas caviary to the general,” caviar had gained its association with connoisseurship and luxury. An important fact about caviar is that the older the fish, the more elegant and exquisite is the flavor.
Almas caviar comes from Iran making it extremely rare and extremely expensive. The only known outlet is the Caviar House & Prunier in London England’s Picadilly that sells a kilo of the expensive Almas caviar in a 24-karat gold tin for £16,000, or about $25,000. Coincidentally, it is also where you can find the most expensive meal in Britain. The Caviar House also sells a £800 tin for those on a smaller budget.
Beluga caviar is composed of pea-sized, gray eggs. In general, the lighter the color, the more expensive it is. The grades are: 0 (darkest color), 00 (medium toned), and 000 (lightest color). The 000 grade is the most expensive and is sometimes referred to as “royal caviar”. In terms of texture, royal caviar is often described as rich and silky.
World’s Most Expensive Truffles
Expensive truffles are notoriously pricey because they are difficult to cultivate. This makes them a true delicacy that some have called the king of all fungi.
The Associate Press reported in 2006 that Hong Kong real estate investor Sir Gordon Wu and his wife paid €125,000 (US $160,787) at an annual truffle auction in Grizane, Italy, for a gigantic Italian White Alba truffle, reportedly the most expensive ever. This pricey truffle weighed in at 1.51 kilograms (3.3 lbs).
