The Top 10 World's Most Expensive Foods 2024 (Plus 3 Most Expensive Meals)

The most expensive foods in the world in 2024 are remarkable foods you can buy at whooping prices. Some of these foods are not easy to get as they are rare and many are willing to pay a large amount of money for them just to have a bite. 

These are the top 10 world's most expensive foods 2024 (plus 3 most expensive meals), they are, 

Almas Caviar

Yubari King Melon

Saffron

Italian White Truffle

Matsutake Mushroom

Ayam Cemani Black Chicken

Giant Bluefin Tuna

Iberico Ham

Wagyu Beef

Fugu

Grand Velas Tacos

Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence

Louis Xiii Pizza

Check out these expensive foods per kg and pound, their prices, the reasons behind their whooping prices, and lots more. 

Keep reading! 

1. Almas Caviar - The Most Expensive Food in the World  

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Price: $34,500 per kilogram

Why so expensive: It is food gotten from a rare 100-year-old albino beluga sturgeon.

Luxury dishes are always associated with caviar. Now, when it comes to the most expensive food in the world in 2024, Almas caviar tops the list. 

Caviar is not just fish egg as some people think. It is a sturgeon egg that is cured or lightly salted.  It can be eaten raw, and it can also be cooked, it all depends on you. 

In the Russian language, Almas means diamond due to the fact of how cherished the food is to people and it is regularly sold at that whooping amount mentioned above.  

You can only have this caviar after an albino beluga sturgeon live for more than 100 years which is very rare. The albino beluga sturgeons majorly live on the Iranian side of the Caspian Sea in Russia. 

The older the sturgeons are the spongier the texture of the caviar will be, but the eggs are smooth and white.  The Almas caviar has a unique flavor because it has been salted delicately and it has a distinct nutty, yet creamy taste.

 

2. Yubari King Melon                           

Price: $13,500 per pair ($6,750 per melon)

Why so expensive: Grown area is limited, great effort is needed in raising them, and must be harvested with care.

True fruit lover will definitely like this fruit as it is a very delicious fruit that is juicy, has fragrant flesh, and have a honey-like flavor. 

It is the most delicious melon in the world and of course one of the most expensive foods in the world as it is a luxury fruit.

A pair of them were sold at the first auction of the harvest season in Sapporo at the staggering price mentioned above. While the fruit can be gotten at $100 from some stores in Japan, which is still expensive compared to some fruit prices. 

It is a type of cantaloupe that is first grown in Yubari, Japan. Yubari climate is perfect for growing the melon and the best is the only one selected for sale and it is still being graded. 

It has a delicate nature, so care is taken while harvesting. It is stored in a cool dry dark place with tissue paper wrapped around it until is time to be shipped.  There are different ways to enjoy it, it can be eaten raw, grilled, used in salads, turn into smoothies or juice.  

There are many health benefits of this melon such as it aids digestion, prevents dehydration, lower blood pressure, boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation, reduces cancer risk, and among others.

 

3. Saffron                                      

Image credit:  Salonik Saffron / Wikipedia 

Price: More than $10,000 per kilogram

Why so expensive: Growing the plant is hard, 150 flowers are needed to make 1 gram, and harvesting the thin stigma requires hard labor.

Saffron is the red stigma of the Crocus sativus and has three stigmas. The process of getting this food starts when the crop starts flowering, and flowers are harvested on time in the morning for the best quality. 

Carefully picking the stigma is not easy as it is a minuscule harvest in which you pick it by hand one after the other.  No machine can do this and it requires a lot of time in doing it. 

Imagine spending stressful work for 40 hours in just harvesting 1 kg of saffron but high quality. No wonder it is among the most expensive foods in the world. 

The fact is genuine saffron cost the amount mentioned above, even though it can be gotten at a lower price from some stores. 

One kilogram of saffron usually consists of 450,000 strands and that may imply using more than 150,000 flowers. Saffron is used as a spice, medicine, and dye for thousands of years it has been used.

4. Italian White Truffle                       

Image credit: Almagourmet

Price: $3386.24 per kilogram ($1581.67 per Ib)

Why so expensive: Rarity as it is seasonal, difficult to grow, habitat-specific, and harvesting is intensive.

Truffles are not the same as mushrooms as they grow underground, you have to dig to find it. As you can see from its price above, it is absolutely one of the most expensive foods in the world in 2024 you can buy. 

It is very scarce as it is extremely difficult to grow and it is seasonal. It takes many years to grow and its shelf life is short too. 

To grow it, many oak trees are needed in a very specific climate right tree roots to grow on, and some rain to fall, and for this, you can only find it in woodland. 

Even when all these conditions is met, that does not mean you can succeed in growing it. Harvesting is not easy as you have to dig each truffle by hand which is labor-intensive. 

Planting and investing in it is a risky business, for example, it may take up to 6 years after planting a truffle orchard to begin harvesting it. Due to the deforestation of woodlands and climate change, wild truffles have decreased significantly. 

These truffles are an amazing delicacy, it has pungent and intense aromatic flavor or gamy/ meaty/ musky flavor like some famous ground mushrooms. Due to their intensely rich and robust flavor, truffles frequently take center stage in any dish.

See also:

The Top 13 Most Expensive Wines in the World 

 

5. Matsutake Mushroom                       

Image credit: Tomomarusan

Price: $500 per 8 mushrooms ($1000 per pound i.e. $2,205 per Kg )

Why so expensive: It is one of the most sought-after mushrooms because of its autumnal flavor, sweet aroma, and its meaty texture. Depletion of its habitat and It is impossible to grow it artificially.

Right now in 2024, it is the world’s most expensive mushroom and definitely one of the most expensive foods. The natural habitat in which this mushroom grows is getting smaller which is also affecting the price as it is getting higher. 

As they are no longer found easily on the forest floors as before. It is also impossible to grow artificially and many people are demanding it.  

For South Korea and Japan, this mushroom has a long history with them. It is Japanese culture's potent symbol as it signals a change of the season. It is often offered as a gift for the Imperial family and by the aristocracy.

6. Ayam Cemani Black Chicken         

Image credit:  Fine Dining Lovers

Price: $2,500 per chicken (on average they are 1.5 to 2.5 Kilogram)

Why so expensive: Rarity, nutritional and organoleptic qualities 

It is a rare special breed of chicken with black pigmentation on its feathers, beak, on their skin, and even internal organs. But the blood is not black like some people think. 

These chickens are from Indonesia. It is not easy to breed if only you are fortunate to have it among chicken breeds. These chickens have a dominant gene called fibromelanosis (hyperpigmentation). 

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons 

However, they do not lay black eggs but cream color eggs that have a slight pink hue. On average, they can live up to 6 to 8 years, and they can still live longer than that. 

If you buy this chicken, you prepare it the way you prepare other chicken. Some people claim that it is tastier than standard chicken while others believe that it only tastes gamier. It is one of the most expensive foods in the world in 2024.

 

 

7. Giant Bluefin Tuna                           

Image credit: On The Water

Price: $1,300 per Kilogram ($275,000 per 212 kg)

Why so expensive:  Rarity and in high demand, as is its most sought-after fish.

Even though at a grocery, you can buy tuna fish for $2 or less. But definitely, it is not the same as this giant Bluefin tuna. 

Those ones can be gotten easily as they are small in size and they are abundant as they grow fast. Giant Bluefin tuna is different, it is rare and it is one of the most sought-after fish.  

The giant Bluefin tuna that weighs 212 kg was sold at $275,000 (¥36 million JPY) recently. In 2019, a 612 Ib size was sold for $3 million in Japan at an auction. 

In 2013 as well, a 489-pound of this fish was sold for a staggering price of $1.8 million. Giant blue tuna is expensive, bringing it to the list of the most expensive foods in the world in 2023. 

The fish is dense in nutrients; it is rich in vitamin B12, omega-3, and other minerals and vitamins. And it is reported that it has a special flavor that people are willing to throw millions into in order to enjoy it.

 

8. Iberico Ham                                

Image credit: Enrique Tomas

Price: $220 for a hand-sliced pound ($485.02 per Kg)

Why so expensive: acorn-fed pure breed Iberico ham and sold by the most respected and old brand in Spain called the Cinco Jotas (5J) brand.

This ham is also called acorn-fed Iberico ham or jamon Iberico de bellota. Iberico ham is gotten from a rare breed of pigs in Spain. 

It is the world’s most prestigious and expensive ham belonging to the list of the most expensive foods in the world. Ordinarily, an average ham cost $3 per pound. 

One leg of this very big costs up to $4,500 that usually weigh between 13 to 17 pounds. Some people cannot resist buying it because of its rich flavor, savory taste, and velvety texture. 

A cured ham of Jamon Iberico can be eaten raw, sliced thin, and served as an appetizer. And if you choose to, it can be cooked.

See also:

 The Top 13 Most Expensive Whiskeys in the World

 

 9. Wagyu Beef                                  

Image credit: Porterford Butchers

Price: $200 per pound ($440 per Kilogram) 

Why so expensive: Its intramuscular fat cells

It is the world’s most prized beef and an adult cow itself can sell as much as $30,000. It is a native Japanese cow that is of four breeds. 

Namely, Japanese Shorthorn, Japanese Polled, Japanese Brown, and Japanese Black are used in wagyu production. These cows have intramuscular fat cells due to the fact that they are bred for physical endurance. 

This actually makes it different from the regular kinds of beef, it is marbling in nature. The beef tastes so tender and look so attractive as it looks pinkish. 

When cooked, wagyu retain more moisture and flavor. It has higher levels of a heart-healthy fatty acid called oleic acid. For that, you can consider buying as it contains more nutrients.

 

10. Fugu                                            

Image credit: Oyakata

Price: $265 per kilo (Tiger fugu)

              $200 for a full meal of Blowfish

Why so expensive: Require skill to prepare and is one of the most sought-after meals.

It is a Japanese delicacy. In Japan fugu referred to some types of fish that are poisonous such as blowfish or pufferfish and the tiger blowfish is the most poisonous and the most prized. 

Meals prepared from these fish are also called fugu. One thing that is interesting about this fish is that it is highly poisonous. If too much of the poison is ingested, it can lead to death. 

Fugu, the Japanese expensive fish. Image credit: Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons

For that its preparation requires skill to the point that little of the poison remains. In America, South Korea, and Japan, it’s only trained and licensed chefs are allowed to handle it. 

Many Japanese consider it an amazing delicacy and often celebrate its flavor. 

While others believed that it doesn’t worth the price as they feel it has a bland taste. To me is like buying something that might be dangerous to your health at a high price.

 

 

11. Grand Velas Tacos – The Most Expensive Meal in the World  

Image credit: GRAND VELAS LOS CABOS

Price: $25,000

Ingredients: guacamole, cheese salsa, sauces, Vegetables, fish or meat filling, and a tortilla or shell. 

Where it was served: Grand Velas Los Cabos hotel, Mexico. 

Why so expensive: The preparation of the delicacy, as it was delicately and technically prepared.

Even though it surprised everyone the price of the taco as it is cheap, portable, and usually delicious. And also tacos are the typical street food. So it is the most expensive street food.

 

12. Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence   

Image credit: Pcma.org

Price: $14,500

Ingredient: exotic fruit like a gold leaf Italian cassata flavored, a mango, pomegranate compote, Irish cream, and a champagne sabayon.

Where it was served: The Fortress resort in the coastal city of Galle, Sri Lanka.

Why so expensive: culinary creation of sculptor using chocolate, and exotic ingredients used. 

It is the most expensive dessert and one of the most expensive meals in the world in 2024.

See also:

The Top 15 Biggest Foods in the World 

 

13. Louis Xiii Pizza                              

Image credit: Delhi Royale

Price: $12,000

Ingredient: Mozzarella di bufala which is a cheese, lobsters, and Mediterranean shrimp species are used for the 20cm pizza

Where it was served: Agropoli in Salerno, Italy (you can still get it there, it is available for sale)

Why so expensive: Exotic expensive ingredients use, and toppings are from three rare types of caviar, lobsters, prepared by a special list and it took 72 hours to prepare.

 

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