Why an obsession with edible gold is taking the luxury cuisine world by storm
Whether it’s the world’s most expensive grilled cheese, ice cream sundae, soufflé or sushi; for dishes to be bestowed with this kind of title, more often than not, edible gold is key
If your dish isn’t sprinkled with it, it’s simply not extravagant enough. Edible gold is one ingredient that always seems to take the luxury cuisine world by storm.
“Scarcity is the ultimate, defining quality of true luxury. Consumable scarcity is therefore the apogee of indulgence – consuming something which is rare, prized and valuable – and likely to increase in value still – is an expression of luxury and wealth,” Winston Chesterfield, research director at Wealth-X, told CNBC.
“Many chefs now attempt to make their dishes (appear like) works of visual art. Not only because the arena of fine cuisine is highly competitive and continually advancing, but because it is judged on that element by those awarding restaurants with coveted accolades.”
Like edible flowers, glitter or other colorful décor, gold “adds another dimension” to a dish as a talking point, by creating a visual impact. In many cases, this golden addition generates further monetary value for a dish too.
The gilded ingredient has provided a helping hand in elevating the status of one New York-based restaurant, Serendipity 3, after it received a number of Guinness World Records for its gold-infused dishes.
During its history, Serendipity 3 has been bestowed with creating the world’s most expensive dessert: a $25,000 ice cream sundae containing edible 23K gold and 28 cocoas, called “Frrrozen Haute Chocolate”. The sundae, created in 2007, overtook the restaurant’s previous record for the “most expensive dessert”: their “Golden Opulence Sundae” which they still sell for $1,000.
According to the restaurant’s founder and owner, Stephen Bruce, “everything looks better covered in gold”, with the restaurant beginning its relationship with the ingredient in 2004.
“Scarcity is the ultimate, defining quality of true luxury. Consumable scarcity is therefore the apogee of indulgence”
“Working with edible gold is like working with all the other fine ingredients we use to make these outrageous menu items, they are the finest ingredients in the world, and when put together, creates edible works of art” Bruce told CNBC.