8 of the World’s Most Expensive Ingredients

Photo by: COURTESY OF URBANI

Most Expensive Fungus: White Truffles

What: The white truffle is found almost exclusively in the forests of northern Italy between the months of September and December. Its unique flavor-nutty, savory, and sweet-is commonly sampled in shavings atop dishes heavy on eggs, butter, and cheese, such as fresh pasta, fonduta (a mixture of melted cheese and wine), or a decadent scrambled-egg breakfast.



How Much: White ... more 

Photo by: COURTESY OF URBANI

Most Expensive Fungus: White Truffles

What: The white truffle is found almost exclusively in the forests of northern Italy between the months of September and December. Its unique flavor-nutty, savory, and sweet-is commonly sampled in shavings atop dishes heavy on eggs, butter, and cheese, such as fresh pasta, fonduta (a mixture of melted cheese and wine), or a decadent scrambled-egg breakfast.



How Much: White truffles retail for $7 to $11 per gram, or $3,000 to $5,000 per pound. Prices can be as high as $90 for a standard 8-gram portion, with an additional premium for a particularly large specimen.



Why Pay More: No one has yet succeeded at cultivating white truffles, so the supply is extremely limited. The only way to source them is to forage within their limited natural habitat with the help of specially trained pigs and dogs. less