The mattake, or matsutake, mushroom is the most expensive mushroom in the world today. This is a highly coveted mycorrhizal mushroom that can be found in Asia, North America and Europe, particularly in Japan, China, Korea, the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden. The most popular is the one associated with the Japanese Red Pine. It is usually hidden under fallen leaves on the forest floor. While simple to harvest, it is extremely hard to find. The annual harvest in Japan is less than a thousand tons only.
9. Westin Hotel Bagel – $1,000
It may just be a bagel, not that different from what you usually have for your breakfast. Then again, this creation of Frank Tujague, the Executive Chef of Westlin Hotel in New York, includes a small amount of white truffle cream cheese and goji berry-infused Riesling jelly that has golden leaves. The price buster is the truffle, as this Italian fungus is one of the most expensive food items in the world.
8. Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata – $1,000
Omelettes are so easy to cook. All you need are some eggs, along with any other food that you wish to use as an ingredient. In Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York however, the restaurant called Norma’s took a giant leap forward by adding lobster claws and 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar into six eggs. The result is the thousand dollar omelette, or as the restaurant has advertised it, the zillion dollar lobster frittata. A scaled-down version features only 10 percent of the caviar. As only an ounce is included, the restaurant only sells it for $100. The full version of the frittata has been sold only about 12 times, while the smaller version is ordered around 50 times a year.
7. Craftsteak’s Wagyu Ribeye Steak – $2,800
Wagyu beef is a sought-after item because of its high percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Its genetic predisposition also allows it to have an acceptable ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats. The best of the lot is the one from Kobe, raised in the prefecture of Hyogo in Japan. The cows raised here are fed with beer and are massaged regularly to ensure tenderness. A full Wagyu ribeye in Craftsteak in New York was once served for $2,800. The restaurant is now closed, however, and replaced with Colicchio & Sons.
6. Bombay Brassiere’s Samundari Khazana Curry – $3,200
As the world was dancing to Nicole Scherzinger and the rest of The Pussycat Doll’s “Jai Ho (You are My Destiny)” while celebrating the success of Slumdog Millionaire, Bombay Brassiere decided to create a curry dish fit for winners of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Devon crab? Check. White truffle? Check. Beluga caviar in gold leaf? Check. There are also gold-coated Scottish lobsters, four abalones, and four quail eggs filled with even more caviar.
5. Domenico Crolla’s Pizza Royale 007 – $4,200
Domenico Crolla is a Scottish chef known for putting portraits into his pizza creations. He decided to create the Pizza Royale 007, though the producers of the James Bond films did not commission it. It was a 12-inch pie, filled with lobsters marinated in cognac, caviar soaked in champagne, tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, prosciutto, venison medallions, and vintage balsamic vinegar. To top it all, there are 24-carat gold flakes. They are not to be taken home, however, as they are edible.
4. Densuke Black Watermelon – $6,100
Black watermelons are rare items, especially the Densuke variety that is only grown in the island of Hokkaido in Japan. A harvest will typically yield only a few dozen fruits. What makes it special, aside from its rarity? Its hardness and crispness are just perfect, plus, the level of sweetness is just incomparable. A fruit that weighed 17 pounds once went for $6,100.
3. Yubari King Melons – $22,872
No, these are not the ordinary cantaloupes that you can find in the supermarket. The orange-fleshed Yubari King melons are coveted because of its proportion and sweetness. These items are so in demand that auctions are actually conducted for its purchase. In 2008, over 100 melon fruits from Yubari were on the block. The most perfect of all was the first item put on sale. A businessman who owns a souvenir shop and seafood lunch restaurant made a bid of nearly $23,000 for the honor and privilege of taking home that particular fruit.
2. Almas Caviar – $25,000
The Almas caviar is an extremely rare food item from Iran. Caviars are already expensive to begin with, but the rarity of this item makes it even more expensive. As a matter of fact, even finding a store that sells it is like looking for a needle in the haystack. The only store known to carry this item is the Caviar House & Prunier located in Picadilly in London. The store packages the caviar on a per kilo basis and places it in a tin made of 24 karat gold. Selling price is $25,000. If you want just a taste of it, then a smaller tin is sold for $1,250.
1. Italian White Alba Truffle – $160,406
Truffles are expensive items, but none as dear as the Italian white alba version. These items have become difficult to cultivate, thus explaining the exorbitant price. A huge white alba truffle that came in at around 1.51 kilograms was once sold for over $160,000. A retail investor from Hong Kong and his wife brought home the truffle.
