Food for the kings!

Neelakshi Yadav
Apr 25, 2017
3 min read

Well, food is not only a necessity for everyone. For some, it is another one of their interests and hobbies. For those who can afford, nature has created some of the rarest items that are cherished as delicacies. These items are so costly that one could spend the entirety of their one year’s salary in trying out the delicacy. Like said earlier, these are not available everywhere and just getting to see them once in a lifetime could be a dream. Read on to get amazed by these costly food items, only fit for the kings.

Image Courtesy: Huyen Le

1. Caviar: There is a legit reason why the caviar is so costly. Unlike any other fish eggs, Caviar are the eggs of the Beluga Sturgeon that is found only in the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Another reason why caviar is so expensive is because these fish take up to 20 years of age to mature enough to lay eggs. Overhunting has made the Beluga Sturgeon hit the mark of critically endangered, though it is still reared for its precious eggs. Price: INR 17,00,000 per kg.

Image Courtesy: Regalis Food

2. White Truffles: These rare species of fungi are a French delicacy. They are found only at the base of Oak and Pine trees, hidden between the leaf waste and soil. Trained dogs are used to hunt this delicacy in the French forests. The taste is so unique that a single piece of white truffle has been sold for a record price of INR 10,203,417.

Image Courtesy: NDTV food

3. Saffron: It is the world’s costliest spice with its price equal to that of Gold. The dried filament of saffron flowers is commercially sold for a price of INR 12,70,000/kg.

Image Courtesy: Aleksander Mishkov

4. Kopi luwak: Kopi Luwak is the world’s costliest coffee at INR 47,600 per kg. Produced solely in the Indonesian islands of Bali and Sumatra, Kopi Luwak is the processed defecated matter of the Luwak or the Asian Palm Civet. The Civet eats wild coffee cherries, partly digests it and poops it out, which gives the coffee it’s rich flavor.

Image Courtesy: Tomoko A Hosaka

5. Black Watermelon: The Black watermelon is cultivated only in the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan. Locally called the ‘Densuke watermelon’, the black watermelon’s outer shell is crisp and hard and its red flesh has unparalleled sweetness. It is priced at an imaginable price 4,14,800 per watermelon.

Image Courtesy: Richandloaded.com

6. Yubari King Melon: If the four-lakh Rupees watermelon surprised you, wait until you hear about the Yubari cantaloupe. The Yubari king melon is twice as costly as the black watermelon. It is a hybrid melon between two other melons. It is known for its mind-blowing sweetness and a perfectly round body. Though one can hope to find a Yubari king melon at rare specialty grocery stores in Japan at the little price of INR 4,000-6,000, perfect Yubari King Melons have been sold for prices as high as INR 8,00,000 per piece.

Image Courtesy: 1Left

7. Matsutake Mushrooms: This rare species of mushrooms is priced for its unique spicy aroma and flavor. They are found in very few countries across the globe like China, Japan, Sweden, Korea, United States, Canada and Laos. It is found on forest floors near the roots of very few species of trees, which makes them very difficult to find. Depending on the availability, the Matsutake mushrooms cost anywhere between INR 6,120 and INR 68,000 per kg.