World’s Most Expensive Ingredients

Italian White Alba Truffle


Gotta love the irony that many of us think of pigs as dirty and sloppy yet we count on these fine farm animals to sniff out luxurious truffles. One version of this delicacy, the Italian White Alba truffle, has been auctioned off for upwards of $155,000 for 1.5 kg.

Beluga Sturgeon Caviar

Forget the bling. If you want to live large, dining on delicate fish eggs is how you should roll. One kilo of Almas Beluga Sturgeon caviar is sold in a 24-carat tin for the not-so-paltry sum of $26,000.

Kobe Beef

Why is that Kobe steak you ordered ringing in at up to $200 per kilo? Wagyū cows live a pretty pampered life: they eat the best grass, receive beer showers and get regular massages.

Saffron

Be prepared to break the piggy bank if you’ve got a thing for saffron. It’s the most expensive spice by weight (the sargol version from Iran fetches up to $4,800 for half a kilo).

Matsutake Mushrooms

You won’t find this variety next to the button mushrooms at your grocery store; during peak season, Matsutake mushrooms from Japan can tally in at $1,900 per kilo.






Blowfish, pufferfish or fugu


The Times reported in 2004 that the cost of a small fugu meal in Tokyo started at 13,000 Yen (£65), making it one of the most exclusive and expensive fishes eaten.

Bluefin tuna

Nonetheless, bluefin is still eaten, and is highly prized
- particularly in Japan, where it is usually served as sashimi. The BBC
reported in January 2010 that one 232kg bluefin was sold for the
princely sum of $175,000 (£109,000) at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market.

Yubari Melons – $22,872

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.

Dansuke Watermelon – $6,100


In a country where watermelons are rare game, they can be a costly commodity. That’s how a 17-pound Japanese watermelon became the most expensive watermelon in the world. 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.”





Edible gold: $90-100/gram


Though gold has no nutritional value, 23k and 24k gold is perfectly edible and add luxurious and beautiful decoration to dishes and drinks. Chefs use gold in desserts, as garnish on wedding cakes, in cocktails and drinks, and on appetizers and entrées.   Culinary gold comes in a few forms, including powder, flakes, and sheets, and is a breathtaking garnish.

Kopi Luwak Coffee: $33-$100/cup

The world’s most expensive coffee goes through extremely unique processing… through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet. Civets in Indonesia sniff out the best coffee cherries plucking them from branches with razor claws. The civet then eats the beans, excreting them whole. The beans are then thoroughly washed and lightly roasted. According to legend (and coffee aficionados) this process reduces acidity and bitterness, giving the coffee a wonderfully aromatic, smooth flavor. Producers use a variety of beans, so flavor can differ.