7 ridiculous food items that chefs have decided to cover in gold

We all appreciate a bit of bling. Whether it’s sparkling on a wrist or flashing on an index finger, gold almost always adds something special to an outfit. We say “almost”, because there are a few people who seem to go a bit mental when they spy a pile of something shiny and yellow.

This condition, it turns out, is not just limited to clothing and jewellery. Despite the fact that gold is demonstrably not tasty, there are a few chefs who have decided to add it to an array of increasingly bizarre and over the top dishes. From a load of ludicrous kitchens around the world, here are seven ridiculous food items that chefs have, for some reason, decided to cover in gold.

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1. Gold Grilled Cheese

Given that a proper cheese toastie should be golden brown anyway, adding extra gold just feels like overkill. Holding the record for world’s most expensive sandwich, the “Quintessential Grilled Cheese” from Serendipity 3 in New York is built from rare gold-gilded Caciocavallo Podolico cheese, truffle butter and champagne bread, making it a steal at $214.

2. Gold Coffee

To wash down the first course of this glittering culinary adventure, your best bet is to head to the UAE. At the Emirates Palace Hotel, guests can slurp at a luxurious cappuccino, dusted with real 24ct gold flakes. At a mere $20, this is definitely one of the more affordable items on the golden bucket list.

3. Gold Taco

If you decide to follow your coffee with a bite-sized second course, things start to get a little more pricey. Served at the Frida restaurant in Mexico, this taco is luxury personified. Kobe beef, truffles, lobster, caviar, civet coffee, tequila and gold all add up to a $25,000 mouthful.

4. Gold Pizza

Though thousands of Italians would rather be shot than serve their signature snack with anything other than cheese, tomatoes and basil, this hasn’t stopped New York’s Industry Kitchen from thinking outside the jewellery box. Topped with stilton, foie gras, caviar and truffles, as well as Ecuadorian gold leaf, this pie will set you back a stonking $2,000 dollars.

5. Gold Burger

After taking out a small mortgage to afford the rest of your gold feast, the chances are that you’ll want to indulge in something familiar and comforting to round off your savoury courses. This is where Australia’s Phat Stacks Burgers come in. For $90 dollars, you can devour gold covered brioche buns stuffed with fried chicken, bacon, beef patties, onion rings and cheese – all washed down with a golden Ferrero Rocher shake.

6. Gold Cupcake

After all that salt, it’s only right that you round off your metallic meal with something sweet. The golden cupcake from Bloomsbury’s Boutique in Dubai is the perfect place to start. Ugandan vanilla, Italian chocolate and gold dipped strawberries all accompany a cupcake wrapped in 23ct gold sheets. You’ll need to give 48 hours notice, and find an extra $1,000 from somewhere.

7. Gold Ice Cream

Fortunately, gold-obsessed diners get to stay in Dubai to round off their shiny metal odyssey. Though a single scoop of the ice cream served at Scoopi Cafe will set you back a further $817, gold enthusiasts will argue that it is well worth it. The ice cream itself is made from Madagascan vanilla, Iranian saffron, Italian truffle and gold leaf, and comes complete with a Versace bowl and spoon that customers can keep.

Clearly, spending this much on any food, regardless of what’s in it, is ridiculous. Most normal people would rightly be baffled by the idea of dropping a grand on a cupcake. But, as we’ve just seen, there must be an audience for this type of mad cooking. There’s no other explanation for why this stuff keeps getting made.