AS GOOD AS GOLD

It seems we need to constantly try new things, and we have been inventing new kind of food day by day to its purpose, even if they are non-sense. So, edible gold is the latest gourmet sensation to enjoy a dish.

Don’t be afraid, it is not the first time you have this chemical element in a meal. Gold is a very common food additive, specifically colour E-175 which gives it a golden touch. It can be found in some products like sweets, chewing-gums, cakes or dehydrated soup.

Nowadays, people who can afford edible gold are more creative and go to fashionable restaurants to enjoy a shiny delicatessen.

The most frequent use of gold in edible form is in chocolatiers. Some chocolate makers produce chocolates flecked with gold leaf. There is also a liqueur called Danziger Goldwasser which is made with particles of gold. Moreover, some premium food producers have even successfully use gold to cook.

Edible gold is almost pure gold, but mixed with silver, which is edible too, so it is completely digestive. Generally speaking, there is no danger in ingesting Edible Gold, it simply passes through the intestinal system and it will pass out of the body after 24 hours without causing any harm or reaction to the body. However, in larger quantities gold does become toxic and harmful to human health.

The Europeans have a very old tradition in using Edible Gold on Food. Italian Dukes used to decorate their risotto with Edible Gold leaves in the XVI century. Alchemists of the XV century used gold medicinally. The Elizabethans created magnificent banquets by adding Edible Gold Dust on fruits such as oranges, grapes, pomegranate... And apparently on the 80’s gold was a very common delicatessen in Japan

So… gold fever is on! You can find edible gold in any gourmet supply store in three different ways: sheets, flakes, or sprinkles. It is a great alternative to impress your friends because the quantity of gold is so small and the price is not unreasonable (yet gold makes a meal appear to be extravagant and give restaurants an excuse to charge exorbitant prices)

There are so many recipes that can be prepared with gold. Some beverages like Champagne with edible gold consist on a bottle of Champagne and 100 mg of Connoisseur Edible Gold flakes. You can find edible gold in some dishes such as sushi covered with gold flakes or turkey filled with meat, butter and gold sprinkles. And, of course, desserts are usually decorated with gold flakes or sprinkles, mostly those which are made of chocolate.

But, there’re some interesting delicatessen made of gold, such as Champagne and gold lollypop or Gold Pills. Imagine you are in an exclusive club hanging out with a few rappers and VIPs, and a waitress gives you a pill and a glass of water, you open it, and have it… and that’s the way you swallow 538€ (that’s the prize of ONE pill!!)

But gifts made of edible gold are very popular too, like a heart-shape strawberry lollypop with gold sprinkles as a romantic present or cigarettes made of gold sheets. Gifts like these will make your social status shine, but your economy will be seriously damaged, because they’re worth their weight in gold.

WEIRD FOOD

There’s some food we hate, specially the green one. Most of us don’t like peas, cauliflower, spinach or beans, but you’ll be surprised of how much weird food is cooked and eaten all around the world. You are going to discover the weirdest food top 10, I hope you enjoy.

10. ESCAMOL

Escamoles are the larvae of ants, harvested from the roots of some plants in Mexico. Those ants are very aggressive, so Escamol is very expensive. According to Mexican cuisine, escamoles are a delicacy and it is called “insect caviar”. It is cooked in omelets, tacos, and fried with butter or eggs. It is rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, and it is said that it tastes a little spicy.

9. WEASEL COFFEE

If you want to stay awake easily or to enjoy a new hot beverage you must go to Vietnam, where a very interesting coffee is made. Weasels eat red coffee berries as part of its normal diet (along with insects, small mammals, small reptiles, eggs, and fruit) The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but it has been in contact with enzymes in the stomach that give coffee a bitter taste. The beans are defecated; they are washed, and given only a light roast to keep the complex flavors that develop through the process.

8. BEER & BONES

Some Indians from a tribe called Cocomo, in Peru have a very original way of making beer, with human bones. When a member of the family dies, the tribal warlock produces beer using the death man’s bones. According to the Cocomos, the deceased will be always part of his/her descendant and, in addition, part of the tribe.

7. ANTLIX

It is a peppermint flavoured lollipop, which contains real farm raised ants!
The Ants are Polyrachis Black Ants, and they have a spicy peppery taste similar to chilli peppers, Ants are said to be good for giving you an energy boost, and the peppermint is great for freshening your breath and it’s sugar free!!

6. CAMBOYA SPIDERS

Forget about insecticide, there’s a better way to keep spiders away. In Camboya, a spider is a regional delicacy. Inhabitants from Camboya fry spiders as a snack. These spiders are a species of tarantula called “a-ping” and they are incredibly big (about the size of a human palm) They are tossed in a mixture of sugar and salt and fried in oil until the legs are stiff.

5. BIG-COBRA-MAC

King cobra is a very venomous snake in Indonesia, but it is a tasty dish too. King cobra can be cooked as fried rice with king cobra, soup of king cobra, burger and steak. Some experts said that king cobra meat is it is rich in proteins. Some people think that king cobra meat can stimulate their sexual desire, curing skin problems and rheumatism. The blood of king cobra can be drink directly until the dish is ready.

4. MACKEREL SEMEN

Don’t try to look for another connotation, it’s Mackerel semen. It is the new ingredient of luxury “cuisine” and a Spanish chef was the first one who try to put it in our mouth, Ferrán Adria. He revealed that Mackerel semen has a creamy texture and a delicate taste. This strange ingredient is rich in Omega-3 and the experts say it´s a powerful aphrodisiac.

3. CASU MARZU OR FORMAGGIO MARCIO

It is a sheep milk cheese from Sardinia, Italy, which contain live insect larvae. This strange cheese is considered a delicatessen because of its soft texture with some liquid seeping out. Casu Marzu goes beyond fermentation to a decomposition stage brought by the digestive action of the larvae. These larvae are introduced to the cheese and they eat and defecate it, making Casu Marzu a delicious dish. Larvae are translucent white worm which measure between 8 millimeters and 15 centimeters and they can jump for distances up to 15 centimeters. But you must be thinking “Oh, ok, you put the larvae out and eat the cheese.” But, Casu Marzu is eaten without clearing the larvae, and still alive!! (although some people do clear them). Think about it, it would be like a party in your mouth.

2. BALUT

A Balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell, no kidding. Is characteristic from the Philippines. This food is rich in protein and it is said to be aphrodisiac. Balut eaters have them with salt or chili, garlic and vinegar. This dish is known for its mixture of textures and flavors because all the contents of the egg may be consumed. Fertilized duck eggs are kept warm in the sun for 9 days, after that, the eggs are held to a light to reveal the embryo inside, eight days later the Balut eggs are ready to be cooked.

1. MONKEY BRAIN

I bet you all have seen Indiana Jones, did you remember the scene in which Kate Capshaw is scared of eating a monkey brain? so don’t think it is just an invention for that movie. Monkey brain is a Chinese dish and it is said that eating the monkey’s brain can cure impotence. It is eaten in some different ways: the brain can be eaten cooked or raw (occasionally directly out of the dead monkey’s skull). It can also be eaten fresh, spooned out of the skull while the monkey is still alive. It is served on banana leaves and coconut palms, but normally is served in its skull.

So, which do you think is the strangest or the most disgusting dish? Would you try any?