Why edible gold is having a very extravagant moment
King Midas really missed his prime time for dining because the latest culinary trend is edible gold.
Edible gold is just what it sounds like — pure gold (likely between 22 and 24 carats) and either flaked, layered or wrapped onto food. Pure gold is chemically inert and passes undisturbed through the digestive tract.
It's a big trend now. As Brooklyn Magazine Food Editor Sarah Zorn tells Mashable, "As with anything else, it's the product of our Instagram culture...It makes a pretty picture and generates lots of likes."
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But she says it's a flash in the pan. "No one needs more than one gold-plated donut photo in their Instagram feed."
Though the price of gold varies, as of December 2015, edible gold was about $145 per gram. One gram of gold leaf could envelop approximately four Douche Burgers, which include lobster, caviar and truffles along with its gold leaf wrapper. It went for $666 when the 666 Burger food truck sold it in 2012.
And the taste is...a big, fat zero. Gold doesn't taste like anything.
Historically, nobility in Italy and Elizabethan England embellished their meals with pure gold leaf, too. Gold dust tea has been traditional for centuries in Kanazawa, Japan, which is well regarded for its production of gold leaf. The tea is drank for perceived health benefits, though these are largely debated.
However, the trends that have recently arisen seem to have none of these cultural associations. It's all about the photographs, retweets and the general joy of eating something that looks outlandish.
But some people aren't having it. The backlash against gold food items is similar to that seen against humongous burgers, all-you-can-eat food deals and other food inventions seen as wasteful or insensitive.
While so much of the world goes hungry and Americans throw away copious amounts of edible food, it's not a far leap to understand why edible gold can be seen as at least tone-deaf and at most privileged and insensitive.
Though this trend might seem needless and over-the-top, there are enough people eating gold right now to keep it hopping. These treats are often way less pricey than a piece of gold jewelry, albeit not permanent. To be sure, this is a luxury item, not a necessity, though it's much more affordable than, say, a $100,000 vacation.
Here are just a few of the gold trends that have captured the public's attention.
The limited edition (only 88 were made) golden Kit Kat in Australia sold for $88 AUD ($62.24 USD) to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Manila Social Club's gold-flaked, Cristal-slathered doughnut goes for $100 a pop in Brooklyn.
Super Bowl 50 boasted this golden hot dog.
Pizza Hut's Golden Garlic Knots pizza: 50 consumers received this gold flake-showered pie instead of the Stuffed Garlic Knots pizza they ordered. A $100 gift card was included with the pie.
The Serendipity 3 Golden Opulence Sundae in NYC goes for $1,000 and includes rare Venezuelan chocolate, Parisian candied fruit and, of course, Tahitian vanilla ice cream lacquered in gold leaf. Yes, edible gold flowers on top complete the effect just in case the gold dust wasn't quite opulent enough for you.
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Sarah Spigelman Richter is a contributor to Mashable's Food channel. Sarah covers everything edible, from the food industry to D.I.Y. recipes. She was previously the community manager for Tastemade NYC and her writing has been seen on The Today Show's food blog, Refinery 29, the Food Network, and Gothamist. She has also developed recipes for Tabasco and other nationally recognized brands and has blogged for 5 years at "Fritos and Foie Gras." Sarah is obsessed with "Orphan Black" and chili-cheese Fritos and is still depressed that Loehmann's closed.
