We reward ourselves with meals at fine dining restaurants. But the super rich need more. They need the most expensive foods in the world. Everything from caviar and sushi to truffles, most expensive desserts, curries and even hot dogs appeal to the millionaires and billionaires of our world. Is there a menu of the most expensive foods? Here is our pick of priciest foods.
1. Most Expensive Cake
Price: $30 million
The most expensive food on this list runs into millions of dollars. Not only that, this cake was created for television audiences on reality series Cake Boss. The show features Carlo’s Bakery, a baking outfit run by Buddy Valestro and his family. The most expensive cake was unveiled on the finale of the show and designed for New York City socialite Devorah Rose’s Diamond Gala. The $30 million cake was trussed out for the event with real jewels. The cake glittered with emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. The previous titleholder, a $1.65 million cake from Japan, could not compare in sheer lavishness.
2. Most Expensive Truffle
Price: $330,000
Truffles rate high on the gourmet chef’s list of must-haves. White truffles rate higher still. In 2006, Hong Kong-based property investor Sir Gordon Wu and his wife purchased the famous Italian White Alba truffle for about $160,787. The expensive truffle weighed 3.3 pounds. In 2007, another 3.3-pound white truffle from Tuscany hit the Hong Kong auction block. Casino owner Stanley Ho purchased this for $330,000. And just as you were thinking that this price is hard to beat, in came Ho again, buying two truffles of just under 3 pounds for $330,000.
3. Most Expensive Birthday Cake
Price: £22,000 (about $33,904)
Carl Weininger made headlines just before his 60th birthday party on 5 December 2011. The 60-year-old from Rugby splashed out on an outrageously expensive birthday cake. Priced at nearly $34,000, this expensive pudding was created by pastry chef Marc Guilbert. The stunning cake was made with Belgian chocolate. A champagne jelly of chocolate infused with peach, orange and whisky, as well as an almond sponge layered base added to the texture. Real gold leaf and handmade flowers perched atop this winning dessert. This birthday cake was modeled after the famous Faberge egg.
4. Most Expensive Wedding Cake Slice
Price: $29,900
Royal weddings are all about the pomp and show. Thus it was when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor exchanged wedding vows way back in 1937. Their wedding cake was elaborate and beautiful, as royal wedding cakes should be. Someone must have fallen in love with this wedding dessert. Why else would they save a slice for over 60 years? And what is even more astonishing is that a buyer would be willing to pay $29,900 for it at an auction in 1998. I only hope (for their sakes) that they did not try eating it after the sale.
5. Most Expensive Caviar
Price: $25,000
Almas Caviar holds the distinction of being the most expensive caviar in the world. “Almas” means “diamond”, a fitting name for the king of all caviar. The white caviar comes from Iranian Beluga sturgeons over 100 years old. The whiteness of the caviar is an indication of the maturity of the fish and the superior flavor. It is extremely rare, which makes Almas Caviar very expensive. A kilogram of this caviar will set you back by $25,000. Of course, it comes in a 24-karat gold tin; nothing less would be suitable for connoisseurs of the most expensive foods. Almas Caviar is available from a single outlet – Caviar House & Prunier in Picadilly, London.
6. Most Expensive Dessert
Price: $25,000
Although the birthday cake at No. 3 on our most expensive foods list toppled the Frrozen Haute Chocolate from the top spot, this most expensive dessert from Serendipity 3, New York is one of the costliest sweet treats that money can buy. It looks almost like a chocolate jewel. That is probably because Serendipity 3 teamed up with jeweler Euphoria New York while designing this most expensive food. Frrozen Haute Chocolate features a blend of 28 different cocoas. Bringing the “haute” element are 5 grams of 23-karat edible gold. Even the whipped cream on top is sprinkled with gold. The dessert is served in a goblet with a side of $2,600-per-pound chocolate truffles from Knipschildt Chocolatier. And once you finish your chocolate, there is another treat awaiting you at the base of the goblet – an 18-karat gold bracelet adorned with 1-carat diamonds.
7. Most Expensive Melons
Price: $22,872
In the year, a pair of Yubari melons made headlines when they auctioned for an impressive $22,872. The two melons had been judged the best crop from among a yield of 100 melons brought in by other farmers. The buyer was the owner of a local seafood lunchbox and souvenir outfit. He purchased the most expensive melons at the Sapporo City Central Wholesale Markets. Yubari melons are grown in the Japanese town of Yubari. The fruit is famous for its sweetness.
8. Most Expensive Meat Pie
Price: $14,260
Well-made meat pies are always a treat. But what if they are the most expensive meat pies in the world? A group of eight guests had a first-hand experience of this most expensive food. The venue was Fence Gate Inn, located in the United Kingdom. Priced at $14,260, this creation promised a decadent experience. The ingredients suggest that it should have been a truly high-end feast, for into the pie went wagyu beef, matsutake mushrooms and a vintage wine gravy. Gold leaf provided the final garnish.
9. Most Expensive Watermelon
Price: $6,100
The title of the most expensive watermelon is held by a Dansuke watermelon. The Dansuke watermelon is a black watermelon that grows on Hokkaido, an island in northern Japan. This variety of watermelon is extremely rare, which is why the Japanese often present them as gifts. They are known for their crispness and sweet taste. In the first harvest of 2008, only 65 watermelons were picked. The largest of these was a 24-pound melon that fetched $5,945. However, the most expensive was a 17-pound watermelon that was auctioned for $6,100. The fruit had been named the best crop of the harvest.
10. Most Expensive Saffron
Price: $5,000 per pound
Top honors for the most expensive spice goes to saffron. Even at its cheapest, saffron is an expensive spice. But the most expensive saffron costs a whopping $5,000 per pound. Why is it so costly? This saffron is extracted from the purple-colored saffron crocus flower. Now hear this – to make a pound of saffron, you need one to two lakh flowers. As if that were not enough, each of the flowers must be hand-picked during autumn in order to retain the aroma. A common ingredient in Moorish, Mediterranean and Asian dishes, saffron is loved for its aroma. Luckily, only a pinch of this expensive spice will bring out the flavor in the most expensive foods.
11. Most Expensive Hamburger
Price: $5,000
Hamburgers are typically budget food. But these days, even gourmet restaurants want to showcase their hamburger-making talents. Enter, the Fleurburger. French restaurant Fleur de Lys brought its traditional French style to the all-American hamburger and created the $5,000 Fleurburger. The Las Vegas restaurant in Mandalay Bay combined expensive Kobe beef, foie gras and truffles, and served it on brioche buns. But the meal does not end there. The $5,000 price tag includes a bottle of Chateau Petrus, to be served only in Ichendorf Brunello stemware glasses. Bet you have never eaten your hamburgers in such luxury!
12. Most Expensive Pizza
Price: $4,200
Pizzas are great comfort food. But not when they come with a $4,200 price tag. In 2006, Chef Domenico Crolla set out to give the humble pizza a fancy makeover; he created the Pizza Royale 007, the world’s most expensive pizza. As with other most expensive foods, this 12-inch pizza carries was made from finest ingredients. These included lobster marinated in cognac, champagne-soaked caviar, Scottish smoked salmon, venison medallions and prosciutto. Sunblush tomato sauce and vintage balsamic vinegar added to the flavor while 24-karat edible gold flakes pushed up the price. Chef Crolla had expected to sell this most expensive food for $3,700 on an eBay auction, but an Italian lawyer Maurizio Morelli eventually bought the pizza for $4,200.
13. Most Expensive Curry
Price: $3,200
Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” became a rage when it released in 2008. But an Indian restaurant in London decided to mark the movie’s DVD release with a special dish – the most expensive curry. Named Samundari Khazana, this most expensive food from Bombay Brassiere is truly a “treasure of the sea”. This colorful and pricey platter bears an array of delectable seafood. On offer are Devon crab, tomato-stuffed with Beluga caviar, gold-coated Scottish lobster, abalone and caviar-stuffed quails’ eggs. White truffles add to the mix. Conceptualized by head chef Prahlad Hegde, Samundari Khazana is undoubtedly among the most expensive foods ever.
14. Most Expensive Steak
Price: $2,800
Our list of most expensive foods would be far from complete without mention of the most expensive steak. Interestingly, for all the steak that Americans eat, the most expensive cuts travel all the way from Japan. Steak cuts from Japanese beef cattle or Wagyu are in high demand among high-end steak houses across the world. Of these, the Kobe variety that is raised in the Hyogo prefecture is the most expensive. These cattle are reared on a diet of only beer. They are also massaged by hand to ensure a tenderness and marbling like no other. While Wagyu steaks are expensive anywhere in the world, Craftsteak at New York City took it up a few notches. In 2006, the Big Apple restaurant served the most expensive steak to a private party. The bill came to $2,800.
15. Most Expensive Chocolate Truffle
Price: $2,600 per pound
The most expensive chocolate truffle in the world goes by the name of Chocopologie. Chocolate apology? One wonders what this decadent dessert might want to apologize for. Probably the price, for Chocopologie is sold at the rate of $2,600 per pound. Created by Danish chef Fritz Knipschildt, the most expensive chocolate truffle contains 70 percent Valrhona dark chocolate, which encases a rare French Perigord truffle. The whole thing is finally hand-rolled in fine cocoa powder. This beautiful chocolate dessert is available on order only.
16. Most Expensive Sushi
Price: $1,978
If you have a soft spot for fish and seafood, and do not mind spending close to $2,000 for a taste, buy a plane ticket to the Philippines. That is where Chef Angelito Araneta Jr. created his high-end sushi creation. The most expensive sushi to hit our list of most expensive foods consists of a platter of five beautifully wrapped morsels. Where else will you get your seafood wrapped in 24-karat gold and adorned with real diamonds? This bejeweled platter will set you back by $1,978.
17. Most Expensive Bagel
Price: $1,000
Sometimes, all you need after a hearty breakfast is a scrumptious bagel. New York’s Westin Hotel assumed as much when it came up with the most expensive bagel during Christmas 2007. Priced at $1,000 (plus tax), this was a breakfast bagel like no other. In its high-end avatar, this most expensive breakfast food features a few uber-expensive ingredients – white truffles and a goji berry infused Reisling syrup with gold leaves. Chef Frank Tujague could not have picked any finer ingredients. The white truffle is the second most expensive food in the world, when valued by weight; caviar is the most expensive. Moreover, white truffle grows only under select oak trees in Alba, Italy. Meanwhile, goji berries are the richest source of beta-carotene, and possess strong healing properties.
18. Most Expensive Omelette
Price: $1,000
The omelette is a common fixture at breakfast tables around the world. But not the $1,000 omelette on offer at Norma’s at the Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City. Named “The Zillion Dollar Frittata”, this omelette was unlike any other. The $1,000 omelette included eggs (of course), as well as fine dining ingredients like lobster and 10 ounces of $65-per-ounce sevruga caviar. The result was a delectable gourmet dish that only the superrich could afford. To top it all, the menu said cheekily, “Norma dares you to expense this”. Norma’s also offered a budget version that cost $100.
19. Most Expensive Mushrooms
Price: $1,000 per pound
Who does not love mushrooms? But at $1,000 a pound, only the supremely wealthy are allowed to have a taste. The Japanese matsutake mushroom is currently the most expensive mushroom in the world. The matsutake has long been a symbol of autumn in Japan. It grows under pine trees that are over 25 years old. Today, however, the mushroom is exceedingly rare. An insect species has destroyed many trees under which the famous mushroom grows, resulting in a decrease of matsutake production. There is no viable farming method to increase production either. The current annual harvest in Japan is only about 1,000 tons. Yet, there is great demand. The matsutake, which is famous for its spicy, fruit aroma, is a valuable gift in Japan’s corporate circles.
20. Most Expensive Coffee
Price: $600 per pound
The most expensive coffee in the world is the Kopi Luwak. Only serious coffee enthusiasts would want to pay $600 per pound of this Asian coffee. Why? Because this coffee is not made out of beans picked from a coffee tree. Instead, the coffee is harvested in the intestines of the Asian Palm Civet, a cat-like animal that inhabits the jungles of Sumatra and Indonesia. The animal eats these beans, and passes them out undigested. These coffee beans are then extracted and ground into coffee. The technique may border on disgusting, but the coffee is extremely rare. Only about 500 pounds of coffee beans are harvested each year.
21. Most Expensive Cheese
Price: $428 per pound
This could very well be the world’s most expensive cheese. But we can confirm that this is indeed the most expensive Stilton cheese. Christened Stilton Gold cheese, this product sells for close to $428 per pound. The high pricing is due to the presence of two ingredients – gold leaf and gold liqueur – that raise this cheese a cut above the rest. Connoisseurs who do not mind spending on the most expensive foods, think nothing of picking up a pound or two of this costly cheese. Incidentally, Stilton has only five producers, which makes its cheeses especially exclusive.
22. Most Expensive Soup
Price: $190
If you love soup and would happily drink bowlfuls of it day after day after day, head over to the Kai Mayfair restaurant in London. At $190 you will get a bowl of what could very well be the most expensive soup in the world. The $190 soup is a seafood treat. It contains abalone, shark fin, dried scallops and sea cucumber. Also included are chicken, Chinese mushrooms and ginseng. Oh, and you might just get a taste of gold. That’s included as well! It is the perfect appetizer to your meal of most expensive foods.
23. Most Expensive Club Sandwich
Price: £100 (about $154)
Even the humble club sandwich can get a gourmet makeover. The world’s most expensive club sandwich is a case in point. The Platinum Club Sandwich from the von Essen collection is the creation of Executive Head Chef James Parkinson. This monster sandwich is chockfull of fine ingredients that bring its weight up to 530 grams. The filling includes expensive treats like Iberico ham, poulet de Bresse, white truffle, quail eggs and semi-dried Italian tomatoes. The ham comes from a prized black-footed pig and has been air-cured for two-and-a-half years. The fillings are nestled within three layers of 24-hour fermented sour dough bread. This most expensive food is available only at the Waldo restaurant at Cliveden.
24. Most Expensive Hot Dog
Price: $69
If you live in America, you probably cannot do without the occasional hot dog. Street vendors ensure that the hot dog is available fresh and at truly budget prices. But if you want something a little fancier, hail a cab and head to Serendipity 3 in New York City. Serendipity outlets may be better known for their chocolate desserts, but they do turn out a mean hot dog, including the most expensive hot dog. Named the Foot Long Haute Dog this elaborate snack arrives prettily in expensive restaurant style, leaving you to wonder whether all the frills make the $69 price tag worthwhile.
Each of these most expensive foods are designed to set your mouth watering. But when hot dogs sell for $69 and a single cake costs $30 million, it makes you wonder whether they are really worth it.
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