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The Best Stuff on Earth?!
By Linda | November 12, 2008
Many of the most treasured, costly and gourmet luxuries on earth hardly seem promising when encountered in nature rather than on a fine china plate or in a crystal flask. It makes you wonder what possessed the first person who came upon the following 5 items to be inspired to even touch, let alone eat them!
Ambergris
What it is: a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Ambergris occurs as a biliary secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale, and it can float for years in the ocean before washing ashore. The foul-smelling bile can solidify over years, soaking up the sun and ocean breeze to eventually turn into a sweet smelling, smooth lump. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales. Because giant squid’s beaks have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorized that the whale’s intestine produces the substance as a means of facilitating the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have inadvertently eaten.
What it’s used for: As a fixative in the world’s finest perfumes. Ambergris has a peculiar sweet, earthy odor. It not only contributes to the overall scent of the perfume, but evens out and “anchors” the various elements that make up a fragrance so that they do not dissipate too quickly after the perfume is applied. Believe it or not, ambergris is also considered gourmet food. Eggs cooked with ambergris are considered a delicacy. Who knew that whale vomit could be such a treat?!
What it Costs: $20 per gram or $9,072 per pound!
Truffle
What it is: The edible fruiting body of a group of subterranean ascomycete fungi of the genus Tuber. Truffles grow underground near the base of trees. Truffle hunting is almost always carried out with specially trained pigs (truffle hogs) or, more recently, dogs. Pigs were most often used in the past, but recently dogs are preferred.
What it’s Used for: The famed truffle is a prized ingredient of chefs everywhere from five star restaurants to sophisticated kitchens. Truffles are generally used in goose liver pates, in sauces, omelettes, scrambled eggs, compound butters, and baked in puff pastry.
What it Costs: Fresh black winter truffles retail for $400 to $600 a pound. Larger truffles are more expensive than smaller ones due to their rarity.
Kopi Luwak
What it is: Coffee beans recovered from the feces of the Asian Palm Civet. This small cat-sized mammal eats a varied diet that includes ripe red coffee berries. The undigestable portions of the coffee berries pass though the animal’s digestive tract emerging on the other end as caffeinated gold.
What it’s Used for: The feces encrusted coffee beans are given a wash and lightly roasted to become the most prized (and expensive) coffee in the world.
What it Costs: $120 to $600 per pound. A single brewed cup of Kopi Luwak can cost $65
Beluga Caviar
What it is: The roe (or eggs) of the Beluga Sturgeon, a large fish found primarily in the Caspian Sea. The Beluga sturgeon can take up to 20 years to reach maturity. The fish harvested for caviar often weigh nearly 2,000 pounds. The eggs are large in terms of fish roe and range in color from dark gray (almost black) to light gray, with the lighter colors coming from older fish, and being the most valued.
What it’s Used for: Beluga caviar, unlike less expensive varieties, is usually served by itself on toast whereas other caviars can be served in a variety of ways, including inside hollowed and cooked new potatoes, or wrapped in a blini (a thin crepe or pancake) garnished with sour cream, minced onion or minced hard boiled egg whites. The higher grade caviars, including Beluga, usually need very little embellishment.
What it Costs: Beluga caviar costs $5000 per kilogram or about $2,250 per pound in the United States.
Fugu, Blowfish, Pufferfish
What it is: One of a family of marine or estuarine fish known as Tetraodontidae which includes many familiar species variously called puffers, puffer fish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish and toadfish. Puffer fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world, the first being a Golden Poison Frog. The skin and certain internal organs of many Tetraodontidae contain a neurotoxin known as Tetrodotoxin which is highly toxic to humans. Tetrodotoxin is approximately 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide and it is estimated that a single puffer has enough poison to kill 30 adult humans. Nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy.
What it’s Used for: Fugu has been consumed in Japan for centuries and has caught on as a gourmet experience in the western world in recent years. It is most often served as sashimi; very thin bite-size slices of fresh raw fish, traditionally served with soy sauce and wasabi. Enthusiasts insist that there is nothing like the subtle taste of thinly-sliced fugu, especially when a skilled chef leaves just a touch of the poison in the fish, enough to numb the lips and tongue. Due to the careful preparation needed to ensure that this meal doesn’t kill the diner, whole fugu may not be sold to the general public and since 1958, only specially licensed chefs can prepare and sell the fish to the public.
What it Costs: One meal can cost $100 to $200 per person at a high end restaurant.
Topics: Animal Kingdom, Food Science, Nature |
November 16th, 2008 at 4:19 am
Oh my gosh - I really didn’t know most of this. Very interesting and informative website you have here. I will be back visiting again with my kids.