How many of the eight most expensive foods in the world have you eaten？
China search news We often hear about caviar, Tricholoma matsutake and foie gras. How much do you know about them? A truffle is worth a million dollars, and the rich people don’t hesitate to buy it. What is its charm? The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) introduced the eight most expensive top ingredients in the world in a recent program. Let’s find out with Xiaobian!
1. Saffron
Crocus sativus, also known as crocus sativus and crocus sativus, belongs to the family Iridaceae. It is native to Greece, Spain, Iran and other Europe and Middle East regions. It is said that it was introduced to Tibet in China in the Ming Dynasty and then transported from Tibet to other parts of China, hence the name "Crocus sativus". The bright crimson stamens extracted from saffron are the most expensive condiments in the world, and the value per ounce is higher than that of gold. Why is something so small so expensive? Small output is the main reason. Crocus is planted in Afghanistan, Iran, Kashmir and Europe, with an annual output of about 200 tons. What is this concept? Let’s just say, according to Xiao Bian, the annual output of apples is more than 5,000 w tons … Besides, crocus only blooms in autumn, and picking it is purely by hand. A worker can only pick 60 to 80 grams a day, but it takes 150,000 to 200,000 crocuses to extract one kilogram of spices. Therefore, its price is as high as 4,000 euros (equivalent to more than 30,000 RMB) per kilogram.
2. Caviar
Caviar, also known as roe sauce, is a sauce made of sturgeon roe, which is one of the "three western delicacies" (the other two are foie gras and truffles). Caviar is almost recognized as an expensive ingredient in the world. Among them, Almas caviar produced in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea is regarded as the most precious caviar variety, and the price per gram is US$ 35 (220 yuan RMB). It is made from the eggs of the nearly extinct albino sturgeon. According to Guinness World Records, the most expensive caviar is produced by a 100-year-old paddlefish, and its price is 34,500 US dollars (220,000 RMB) per kilogram. Caviar production generally requires the slaughter of precious adult sturgeon, but now there are manufacturers who massage sturgeon to extract fish eggs to make caviar, which is good news for gourmets and animal protectors, and most importantly, for this endangered creature.
3, oysters
Oysters, also known as oysters, have always been regarded as delicacies. They are eaten raw after opening the lid, with full taste, complex flavor and long sweetness. Every bite is delicious from the ocean. In the early 19th century, oysters were very cheap, and people along the coast often used their meat to make pies. However, due to overfishing and seawater pollution, the output of wild oysters has fallen sharply, and the price has soared.
Among oysters, the most precious one is the Peron oyster produced at the mouth of the Peron River in France, which is called "the king of oysters". It is extremely demanding on water quality and has a long growth period, so its output is very low and expensive. The taste of Bellon oysters is very different from that of ordinary oysters. Its entrance has a strong mineral flavor and seaweed aroma, the middle flavor is surging and exciting, the aftertaste is restrained and fresh, and the metal flavor is strong, which will bring paralysis from both sides of the tongue to the mouth, full of strength. People who are new to oysters may think that Bellon oyster is too heavy, but it is the favorite of many oyster experts.
4. White truffles
White truffle is a rare food recognized by Europeans. This kind of thing is very rare, and many people can’t see it all their lives. White truffle is a kind of wild plant fungus, which can not be cultivated artificially, so it is very rare and is called white diamond. The most delicious white truffle is Italian Alba white truffle. It is normal to sell RMB 100,000 a piece, and there are also those that have sold over one million. In 2007, Stanley Ho, the "gambling king of Macau", shot a white truffle weighing 1.5 kilograms at a cost of 330,000 US dollars (2 million RMB).
5. Iberian ham
Iberian ham, made of Iberian pig hind leg meat from Spain for 36 months, is very delicious. The best Iberian ham comes from the free-range Iberian black-haired pig, which is said to be a special breed derived from the natural mating of Mediterranean pigs and African wild boars for hundreds of years.
Every November when the acorns (Bellota) are ripe, the piglets will be put into the oak forest to have fun, drink the purest mountain spring water, eat ripe acorns and mushrooms. Piglets usually eat the original ecological herbal feed, but during the four-month period from November to February, they completely eat acorns and weeds. This period is called fattening period, and the weight of piglets will increase from 60 to 80 kilograms to about 200 kilograms. These piglets have to run back and forth for food for about 14 kilometers every day. Eating acorn fat will increase, but exercise will make fat embedded in the muscle. Therefore, Iberian ham made of their hind legs is fat and thin, and tastes excellent.
The classification of Iberian ham is extremely strict, and the "black label" ham made from the hind leg meat of pure Iberian pigs is considered to be the best. According to Guinness World Records, the most expensive Iberian ham costs as much as 3,192 pounds (nearly 30,000 RMB).
6. Beef and beef
He cattle is recognized as the best beef cattle breed in the world, which is characterized by fast growth, early maturity and good meat quality. This kind of beef has a high fat content. During cooking, the meat will become soft and tender, and it will melt instantly when eaten. And cows seem greasy and harmful to health, but in fact they are just the opposite. Top-grade beef has obvious marbling, juicy and tender meat, and high content of unsaturated fatty acids in muscle fat, which helps to reduce harmful low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the human body and reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The best beef is produced in Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe, and once sold at a high price of 500 pounds (4,500 yuan) per kilogram. The cattle there are fed with beer, and they are often massaged during the growth process to ensure the meat quality is tender.
7. Nouaké Coffee
The price of Nouaké coffee is as high as 700 dollars per kilogram (about 4,400 yuan), and it really should have a place on this list. Nouak Coffee, also known as kopi luwak and Cat Shit Coffee, is produced in Indonesia. It is made by the civet cat discharging the coffee beans intact after eating the coffee fruit, and people extract the coffee beans from its feces and process them. Some people think that digestion and fermentation caused by animal stomach acid will make coffee taste more mellow, but critics think this is just a marketing gimmick.
In the wild, civet cats only choose the most ripe and sweet coffee beans to eat, which is a natural selection in itself. With the mellow and delicious Nuwak coffee becoming famous in the international market, Indonesians began to keep civet cats in captivity and forced them to eat a lot of coffee beans. The quality of cat excrement coffee was not as good as before. Nowadays, most cat excrement coffee on the market is fake, and many coffee companies will label ordinary coffee as "cat excrement" to raise the price. Therefore, it is necessary to be very cautious when purchasing.
8. Foie gras
Foie gras, a traditional French dish, is also called the three major French cuisines with truffles and caviar. The top grade is foie gras whole liver. Authentic fine foie gras is more expensive than gold of the same quality. There are not many geese used to make foie gras, and they need to be big enough to make foie gras heavy enough. Besides weight, the color of foie gras is also very important. Injured or damaged foie gras is not used, so foie gras is expensive.
Foie gras, although the name is "foie gras", in fact, most French foie gras today is made of duck liver. French foie gras made from duck liver is rich in flavor, while French foie gras made from foie gras is delicate in meat. Goose liver has the reputation of "the king of green food in the world", which can reduce cholesterol, blood lipid, soften blood vessels and delay aging, and is a good health product. (Compile: Wang Jinxi)
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