1. Red gold Spanish saffron
Saffron, which is the stamen of crocus, is the most expensive seasoning in the world, with 225,111 stamens weighing only 511 grams after drying. When you cook an expensive dish, you can put up to 6 saffrons, which can produce a strong fragrance. However, crocus stamens forged from marigold stamens will not give off attractive fragrance even if they are put in a lot of dishes. The price of a kilogram of crocus stamens is as high as 6111 dollars.
2. Diamond Italian white truffles in the kitchen
White truffles are rarer than French black truffles and Perigord truffles, so they are more expensive, and only grow in northern Italy and Croatia. This white truffle is called the Grand Duke of Truffles. The best of white truffles can only be found in piedmont, especially near the town of Elma.
white truffles only grow from mid-October to the end of February every year. It is very difficult to find them because they grow in the soil near the roots of trees. Truffle hunters usually use trained hounds to sniff them out. Truffles cannot be farmed artificially, which is one of the reasons why they are so expensive. The price of white truffles fluctuates every year, but it is usually between $811 and $1511 per pound (453g).
3. Iberian Ham in Spain
Hams in Spain are generally divided into Iberian ham and Serrano ham. The former belongs to high-grade ham, while the latter belongs to ordinary grade. The top ham comes from a small Spanish village called Jabugo.
Iberico ham is one of the nine legendary ingredients in Europe, which is more famous and expensive than Parma Ham in Italy. In Spain, the best Iberian ham is used to eat alone with wine. When cooking, it is very particular. It should be cut very thin, and each piece is almost transparent. When eating, you can pinch it with your hands. Then, put the whole piece into your mouth and chew it slowly. After eating, there is a long and lingering fragrance in your mouth.
4. French blue lobster in Butania
Compared with other lobsters, the growth period of blue lobster is slow, and it takes an average of 7 years to molt for 31 to 35 times before it can grow to a size of 12 inches and two pounds, which is half as slow as that of Boston lobster. Different from other lobsters, the age of blue lobsters has little effect on the meat quality. Regardless of the size, the meat is thick, tender, rich and sweet. You can feel the rich and rich lobster flavor as soon as you enter, and you can also vaguely taste the salty flavor of the ocean.
However, because the price of blue lobster is too high, the cost is 51 euros/kg (811-1111 RMB/kg after being shipped to China), so even in high-end French restaurants, it is not easy to eat fresh products. If you cover it with a wet cloth and put it in the refrigerator, it can be stored for up to 7 days. And once the blue lobster dies, its value drops sharply.
5. Caviar of Pearl sturgeon in Caspian Sea
In the world, only the eggs of three sturgeons, Beluga, Oscietra and Sevruga, can be made into caviar, and these three sturgeons are divided into different grades according to their spawning age.
Beluga is the highest grade, with an annual output of less than 111 fish. The color of roe varies from light gray to grayish black, so it is called "Caspian Pearl". This sturgeon grows very slowly and cannot be made into caviar until it is fully mature over 61 years old. The most precious is the super-long-lived Beluga sturgeon caviar, which is just a ginseng fruit that melts in the ocean. The second is Oscietra, which takes eggs at about 12 years old. The roe is grayish brown and shiny with black gold. The taste is not as good as Beluga, but it has a special flavor like nuts. Finally, Sevruga took eggs at the age of 7, and the roe was gray and black.
6. French foie gras is more expensive than gold.
Goose liver is a traditional French dish, and it is also called the three major French cuisines with truffles and caviar. Foie gras means "fat liver" in French, but only three kinds of foie gras can be sold under this name. The standard is that the raw materials are all foie gras and a small amount of seasoning, without any other raw materials. The top grade is foie gras whole liver, then foie gras, and then block foie gras.
authentic fine foie gras is more expensive than gold of the same quality. The raw material is the liver of a stuffed duck or goose. When feeding, insert a hose directly into the stomach through the esophagus of the animal, and inject feed such as corn into the animal, so that the duck or foie gras produced is fat enough.
7. Kobe beef
Kobe beef should have a place in the world's most famous beef. As a Japanese specialty, Kobe beef often appears at banquets for state guests. The feeling of being fragrant but not greasy and melting in the mouth can make people unable to bear to stop. However, if you know that Kobe cattle grew up drinking beer and enjoying massage, you won't wonder where this delicious food came from.
Compared with other kinds of beef, high-quality beef has more, denser and more uniform oil flowers. Oil flowers are soft fat of muscles, and their distribution is even and meticulous, so the meat quality will be tender and juicy. Oil flowers will melt at 25 degrees Celsius, bringing instant taste. Pink is the best color of meat; The color of fat is snow white. If the fat is oxidized, the color will turn yellow or gray, but the quality is poor. High-grade beef can sell for hundreds of Hong Kong dollars per 111 grams.
8. Mushroom Queen Morchella
The northern part of Italy is a paradise where sunny hills, quiet and fertile plains and ancient and distant natural monuments can talk freely, and it is also a holy place for fungi who love freedom by nature. Morchella, the "queen of edible fungi", which is the first of the four famous fungi in the world and is famous for its mystery and nobility, originated here. Spring just turned around, and in the mixed forest of needles and broad leaves, Morchella quietly grew with the earliest fresh spring breeze. Its growth cycle is extremely short, only two to three weeks, and each flower successfully picked is precious. In history, it is a rare delicacy that only emperors and monarchs can enjoy exclusively.
The dried Morchella is just right in appearance, with a deep brown color and a unique flavor. It combines the richness of meat with the fragrance of fungi, and has a crisp and delicate taste with infinite aftertaste. Morchella is very nutritious, containing 18 kinds of 21 kinds of amino acids needed by human body, 8 of which are "essential amino acids" that human body can't make; In addition, it also has extremely high health care value, can enhance immunity, resist bacteria and fatigue, and is internationally recognized as one of the healthiest foods.
9. Top-grade oysters: Bellon oysters
Bellon oysters, which can't be eaten all year round. The best season is in September, October, November and December. The gravy is sweet and the taste is fresh and tender. Peron oysters are highly respected by experienced oyster customers all over the world, and are produced at the mouth of the peron river in France, where salt and fresh water are handed over. Due to the narrow estuary of Beilong, which is just over 21 kilometers, and the strict supervision of the government on the standard and hygiene of Beilong oyster production, the output is very low. The vitality of Bellon oyster is weaker than that of ordinary oysters, and it is extremely sensitive to water quality. From oyster seedlings to adult oysters, the loss is more than half.
it's exciting just to hear this wild name for this top-class ingredient. Because of its unique metallic flavor, it is also called copper oyster. The oblate shell has rings like annual rings, and every two rings represent one year. Its umami flavor comes from rich minerals, which even the novice oyster can easily distinguish. Oyster meat is plump and tender, the gravy is sweet, the taste is crisp and refreshing, with a special hazelnut aroma, and the faint sweetness is endless.
11. Treasure abalone in the sea
Braised belly with abalone and ginseng is a representative of traditional luxury and delicacy in China. Among them, abalone, which ranks first, has high nutritional value and delicious taste, and has become the favorite food choice of many high-end tasters.
what is the main reason why abalone is precious? Nie Fengqiao, a well-known expert in diet research in China, said that the output is not high, the ingredients must be high-grade, and the cooking process is complicated. Therefore, abalone can only be enjoyed by professional and experienced chefs in high-end five-star hotels, so it is doubly precious. In recent years, some brands have cooked abalone according to the traditional ancient method, and it is very convenient to eat it at home after purchase.