Kopi Luwak coffee
The most elite and most expensive coffee in the world is a product that has passed through the intestines of a predatory animal of the civet family. The "beans" are selected from the excrement of palm civets, washed and dried in the sun. The processed digestive product of the small predatory animal has a pleasant chocolate aroma.
Price: $600 per pound.
Swiftlet nests
One of the most important delicacies in China is the nests of the swiftlet bird, whose males work on their construction for days on end over several months, building them entirely from their saliva. Due to the length of time it takes to build one nest, their cost is not small. The nests themselves are considered tasteless, but are often added to soups, and more importantly, they have many healing properties. This delicacy is sold by the ton to gourmets from different countries.
Price: from $1,000 to 10,000 per kg.
Argan oil
Moroccan wild goats have learned to climb trees to obtain the wonderful fruits of the argan tree. Farmers only have to collect the digested seeds from the animals' droppings. From these seeds, a golden oil is obtained, known for its healing properties. In addition, cosmetologists often add the oil to various creams: for smoothing wrinkles, moisturizing, strengthening hair roots, and against burns. In short, not only doctors and cosmetologists, but also goats, who have learned to climb trees for the fruits of the cherished argan, have become convinced of its merits.
Price: $120 per liter.
Casu Marzu cheese
This is an Italian delicacy from Sardinia, where its production is officially banned. From Sardinian, Casu Marzu translates as "rotten cheese," and this name is not without reason. Casu Marzu is aged longer than the usual fermentation stage, leading to rot. In this state, cheese flies take over, laying their larvae there. The larvae are almost centimeter-long worms that, moving through the cheese mass, secrete special enzymes that give it an even stronger smell, rotten taste, and soft, creamy texture. Often, Casu Marzu is enjoyed at weddings or other family celebrations.
Price: $100 per pound.
Snake wine
This Vietnamese delicacy is prepared in front of restaurant visitors. A snake handler approaches the customer with a cobra, followed by an assistant carrying a metal tray, a small bowl, a decanter of rice wine, and a pair of garden shears. After a general gathering, the process of killing the reptile takes place, more precisely, cutting its belly with the shears. The dark blood of the snake is mixed with rice wine and offered to the customer in this form. The gourmet must snack on the still-beating heart of the cobra along with the "ruoi tiet ran" (snake wine). This entire procedure is accompanied by tasting the remaining innards of the venomous snake. Locals believe that snake blood has healing properties and helps with procreation.
Price: $21 per glass.
Fugu fish
To try fugu sashimi in Japan, you need a considerable amount of courage and excitement. Under the seemingly harmless name "fugu" hides a deadly dangerous fish with a huge amount of poison inside. Therefore, only a chef who has a special license for this and is able to measure exactly as much poison as is necessary for a person to get a narcotic high is allowed to prepare it. The peculiar sensations after eating fugu cost visitors a pretty penny.
Price: $300 per kg.
Balut
Balut is an integral part of the daily diet of every Filipino. This dish is attributed not only with miraculous properties, but also with the belief that it increases potency. What does the demographic situation in the Philippines depend on? Balut is simply a duck egg boiled in salted water. But it's boiled when it is already a fully formed duck embryo with feathers and a barely visible beak. In addition to Filipinos, this dish is also practiced in other countries of Southeast Asia. It is best to eat the egg with vinegar, as the taste of the boiled duckling is very specific. Truth be told, it is also not a sight for the faint-hearted, although Filipino husbands enjoy examining the rudiments of feathers and pleasantly crunching on the barely formed bones of the little duck. Some people are so impatient that they eat the egg raw, seasoning the dish with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Price: less than a dollar per egg.
Ant eggs (Escamoles)
When unsuspecting black ants of the genus Liometopum lay eggs in the roots of agave in Mexico, they are already being hunted. Just before the larvae are supposed to hatch, they are collected and made into real and quite expensive delicacies. Collecting these larvae is not an easy task; you cannot do without protective clothing, since this relict species of ant, included in many Red Data Books, releases a poison dangerous to humans when protecting its offspring. As for the taste of the larvae, they are quite edible and in consistency resemble cottage cheese. Most often, all the ants go into the Mexican salad "Taco".
Price: $40 per pound.
Vera AVDONKINA.
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