13 Delicacies That Cost As Expensive As An Airplane Wing (And We’ll Explain Why)

Sometimes, some products that seem so simple can take us by surprise when we discover their price: how does someone pay so much for these foods? Is it really worth it?

We, from awesome.clubwe decided to investigate whether some of the world’s most expensive delicacies justify the thousands of dollars consumers spend on them while discovering why they are so expensive. Check out!

The pedunculata — also popularly known as “barnacles” —, although it is confused with shellfish, is actually a crustacean. In its natural habitat, it clings so tightly to rocks that it can only be harvested by hand and with the help of a very sharp knife. Harvesting can be quite dangerous: there is a fatal risk of slipping on sharp rocks covered with algae and moss and falling. The pale pink flesh of this crustacean resembles that of lobster or oysters. Furthermore, it is possible to eat raw or cooked pedunculata.

They are a delight. You basically need to rip off the top and eat the meat inside. The flavor was somewhat like that of a shellfish, but less chewy, and juicy, similar to oyster liquid, but less salty. Basically, I would say they have a very clean and pure marine flavor. © Mr_anchovy / Reddit

This water is sold in very simple and discreet bottles — no, the packaging is not crystal and does not contain gold-plated lettering. Its uniqueness does not lie in the container, but in the origin of the liquid: a mineral spring found about 900 meters off the coast of Hawaii. According to research, the unique composition of electrolytes and minerals in Kona Nigari water quickly restores the body’s water balance and improves its performance.

The La Bonnotte potato can only be grown on a small plot of land on the small French island of Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, located in the Bay of Biscay. The sandy soil of the place is fertilized by algae, and the climate is determined by the ocean. The annual harvest is only 100 tons and the potato can only be harvested by hand. This rare tuber has a slightly salty taste, with a hint of lemon and nutty notes.

In France, we make champagne, wine, cheese, foie gras, and yet our most expensive product… is a potato. © TheMAINKUS / Reddit

Conffin Bay oysters are well known for a reason — they are impressive in size, excellent in texture, and have a complex, intense flavor: salty and sweet, with a long, marine edge on the finish. For connoisseurs to enjoy an oyster 10 times the size of a standard oyster, it must grow quietly in the waters of Conffin Bay, in South Australia, for about 6-7 years.

My family makes multiple trips to the market in Melbourne during the week to buy Coffin Bay oysters. They are sold in just one kiosk, which you have to look for in the crowd of local vendors. © unverified_email / Reddit

Pule cheese is said to taste very similar to Manchego and Feta, and is also very healthy. However, it’s not its taste that makes it so expensive, but its extremely limited availability. The Pule is produced from the milk of the Balkan donkey, an endangered species that exists in only one place on Earth – in the Zasavitsa reserve, located in Serbia, where all the remaining individuals of this breed live. In a herd of around 100 heads, each donkey is milked by hand 3 times a day, producing around 300ml each time. For the production of 1 kg of the delicacy, 25 liters of milk are needed. Therefore, the only way to get the cheese is by ordering it in advance.

I would certainly try a bite. I would take 5g for 5 euros just to say I ate it. Out of curiosity, is it really tasty? © Rorkimaru / Reddit

Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in Modena, Italy, in very restricted areas and only with local grapes. The fruits are pressed and the resulting juice is boiled for at least 12 hours, then poured into a large vat with vinegar and aged for 1 year. Then it will be kept for a few more years in several barrels of different types of wood, and each year it is transferred to a smaller container, since with time the amount of the product naturally decreases. Only after 12 years is vinegar finally considered ready for sale, and this will be its cheapest version. The age considered golden for the consumption of the product is a quarter of a century.

We were once in Modena and a lady gave us the great privilege of literally trying a drop of her 30 year old vinegar. This will forever be one of the most vivid dining experiences of my life. © Jonny _____ / Reddit

In Italy, 9 types of edible truffles grow — and the most valuable are the white ones, especially those found near the city of Alba. They are especially rare because they lack an outer layer that protects them, so they become fragile and vulnerable to the external environment. Truffles growing near the city are especially famous because of their unique taste, due to the composition of the soil, which somehow especially affects the taste of the mushroom.

White truffles have a delicate aroma and well-balanced flavor, which is why they are used in more refined dishes, and are also rarer and more expensive. That’s why restaurants use black truffles. They are also good, but not as tasty, and their price is cheaper. © Brian_Tonelli / Reddit

This honey, called magical and elven, is extremely expensive not because it is wild, but because it is collected in a cave on Mount Nemrut in Turkey. To obtain this delicacy, the help of professional climbers is needed – this is because the hives are located at an enormous height. Annual production is not more than 20 kg, and yet the quantity of the product is unstable, as it depends on weather conditions.

The Yubari melon is a hybrid of two other melon species found only in Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan. The fruit requires constant care. In addition, each one is wrapped in special paper as it grows to a standard shape, and is massaged and polished by hand daily. Only melons that look impeccable and have a certain percentage of sugar are classified as top quality. This means that only one in a thousand is selected to be sold.

When I got married 6 years ago, someone gave us one of these melons as a wedding present. It was all wrapped up and cute. I was like… “Cool, a melon”, but my wife and her family were blown away. It was in storage for a few days, and then we cut it down. And seriously, it was the best fruit I’ve ever eaten in my life. I really wanted to lick the plate after eating it. © unknown author / Reddit

Edible bird’s nests have been used in Chinese cooking for over 400 years. They are believed to be extremely beneficial for health, as they are made from hardened bird saliva, which is rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. The most expensive nests have a dark red color. They can only be found in caves rich in nitrogen vapors. When dried nests are steamed with water, they partially dissolve and become gelatinous.

I expected some elusive or strange flavor that would be new to me. But in fact, the nest is tasteless until you drink the broth in which it was cooked. It was an interesting experience, but I wouldn’t do it again. I’d rather spend my money on something else. © photo***asm / Reddit

This grape species undergoes a careful selection before being marketed. Only bunches weighing at least 700 g will make it to the shelves, where each grape will weigh at least 20 g and will have a percentage of 18% sugar. When buying a bunch, you are guaranteed to receive only large and delicious sweet grapes.

Many people know these mushrooms as “cordyceps”. These tiny fungi, usually the size of a matchstick, are insect parasites that can only be found in a restricted area—high in the mountains of Tibet. It is impossible to artificially infect insects with this valuable fungus, so the only way is to look for it in the wild. In Chinese medicine, cordyceps is considered medicinal and aphrodisiac, and is also used in cooking as a seasoning for duck or chicken meat.

Buy cordyceps if you really want to see something weird and expensive. It’s more of a spice than an actual food, but a relatively small amount is worth thousands of dollars. © johnyquest83 / Reddit

This caviar is, in fact, gold standard, and it’s not just for the price, but for the color of the eggs: they look like translucent and shiny beige pearls. These eggs are generated by the albino beluga, which, unlike the other individuals of the species, which reach maturity at 20 years of age, begins its adult phase only between 60 and 100 years of age. It is found in the southern part of the Caspian Sea, near Iran, and there are few examples in the wild. The taste of the delicacy is delicate, buttery, with subtle notes of nuts.

Caviar is likely to be a disappointment to most people considering its astronomical status and price. That said, I think it’s great to have tasted it at least once. It is not only the taste, but also the texture and smell that determine its value. Under ideal circumstances, caviar has a complex, sea-salt flavor that fills from the mouth to the nose, sometimes with a slight nutty aftertaste. And then there’s the texture, good caviar has distinct eggs, whole and tiny, each with a slight popping sensation and a slightly buttery skin. © sagebeard / Reddit

Which of these foods and spices from our selection today would you like to try? Tell us in the comments section.