LUXURY FOODS

Starter Questions What is a luxury food? What isn’t a luxury food? What do you think is the most expensive food in the world? Would you ever eat something poisonous? What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten?

What is a luxury food?

What isn’t a luxury food?

What do you think is the most expensive food in the world?

Would you ever eat something poisonous?

What’s the strangest thing you’ve eaten?

Key Words delicacy delicatessen fine dining gourmet gourmand chef exotic rare

delicacy

delicatessen

fine dining

gourmet

gourmand

chef

exotic

rare

What Is a Luxury Food? Cultural concept – luxury in one culture is common in others Characterized by scarcity If a dish, may be difficult to make Claims the food has special properties or unique taste Consumption increases with income levels

Cultural concept – luxury in one culture is common in others

Characterized by scarcity

If a dish, may be difficult to make

Claims the food has special properties or unique taste

Consumption increases with income levels

Negative Effects of Luxury Foods Environmental damage Endangered species Bad harvesting processes Potential damage to food supply Pollution Disease

Environmental damage

Endangered species

Bad harvesting processes

Potential damage to food supply

Pollution

Disease

Luxury Foods of the World

Luxury Foods of the Americas

Smoked Salmon Made from Atlantic or Alaskan salmon Hot or cold smoked Thin sliced and served on bagels or crackers Used in American-style sushi Price around $100 per kilo

Made from Atlantic or Alaskan salmon

Hot or cold smoked

Thin sliced and served on bagels or crackers

Used in American-style sushi

Price around $100 per kilo

Maine Lobster Biggest and best American lobster Began as a poor person’s food Price about $10 a kilo in Maine, but higher outside Blue lobster is much more expensive

Biggest and best American lobster

Began as a poor person’s food

Price about $10 a kilo in Maine, but higher outside

Blue lobster is much more expensive

Shellfish Includes clams, oysters, conchs and other mollusks Can be served many ways Grilled in America Fried in Caribbean Price varies, increases away from the coast

Includes clams, oysters, conchs and other mollusks

Can be served many ways

Grilled in America

Fried in Caribbean

Price varies, increases away from the coast

Steaks American specialty Baked, roasted, or grilled Cuts or styles Prime rib T-bone steak Filet mignon Price about $40 per kilo for filet mignon, others less

American specialty

Baked, roasted, or grilled

Cuts or styles

Prime rib

T-bone steak

Filet mignon

Price about $40 per kilo for filet mignon, others less

Luxury Foods of Europe

Olive Oil Comes from Italy, Greece, or Spain Some is cheap, extra virgin oil is a luxury Important part of Mediterranean cuisine Price $30-$40 a liter

Comes from Italy, Greece, or Spain

Some is cheap, extra virgin oil is a luxury

Important part of Mediterranean cuisine

Price $30-$40 a liter

Balsamic Vinegar Another ingredient in European cooking Prepared a little like wine – but isn’t wine vinegar Price up to $1000 per liter Cheap varieties also sold

Another ingredient in European cooking

Prepared a little like wine – but isn’t wine vinegar

Price up to $1000 per liter

Cheap varieties also sold

Gold Leaf A kind of edible gold added to luxury foods in Europe and America Can be used to wrap food or sprinkled into food for color Price $30,000 per kilo

A kind of edible gold added to luxury foods in Europe and America

Can be used to wrap food or sprinkled into food for color

Price $30,000 per kilo

Foie Gras Pronounced “fwa gwa” French dish, made from the fattened liver of a goose or duck The animal is force-fed, some call the practice cruel Price at least $100 per kilo

Pronounced “fwa gwa”

French dish, made from the fattened liver of a goose or duck

The animal is force-fed, some call the practice cruel

Price at least $100 per kilo

Truffles A kind of mushroom Come in black and white varieties Very rare, often found in forests by trained pigs Price around $12,000 per kilo for white truffles

A kind of mushroom

Come in black and white varieties

Very rare, often found in forests by trained pigs

Price around $12,000 per kilo for white truffles

Squab Dish made from the breast of a young pigeon Considered a luxury because it is unusual Also part of Chinese cuisine Price about $30 per kilo

Dish made from the breast of a young pigeon

Considered a luxury because it is unusual

Also part of Chinese cuisine

Price about $30 per kilo

Swiss Chocolate European chocolate is the best; Swiss chocolate is the best European chocolate Many Swiss make their own chocolate Price varies by style and amount

European chocolate is the best; Swiss chocolate is the best European chocolate

Many Swiss make their own chocolate

Price varies by style and amount

French Cheese French cheese considered the best in the world Italians will argue theirs is better 100s of varieties are available Prices vary by cheese; brie can cost $30 per kilo

French cheese considered the best in the world

Italians will argue theirs is better

100s of varieties are available

Prices vary by cheese; brie can cost $30 per kilo

French Wine Considered the world’s best wine France has been making wine for 2,600 years Different regions have their own wine Price for good wines can be in the $100s per bottle

Considered the world’s best wine

France has been making wine for 2,600 years

Different regions have their own wine

Price for good wines can be in the $100s per bottle

Spanish Ham Called “Jamón ibérico” Cured pork salted and dried for weeks or months Made only in Spain from black Iberian pigs Price ranges from $100-$200 per kilo

Called “Jamón ibérico”

Cured pork

salted and dried for weeks or months

Made only in Spain from black Iberian pigs

Price ranges from $100-$200 per kilo

Veal Meat of a specially raised calf Softer and more delicate than beef Important in Italian and French cuisine, also eaten in the US Price around $30 per kilo

Meat of a specially raised calf

Softer and more delicate than beef

Important in Italian and French cuisine, also eaten in the US

Price around $30 per kilo

Caviar Made from salted fish eggs The fish is usually a sturgeon Popular in Russia, Western Europe, and with the wealthy Price of Beluga caviar around $6,000 per kilo

Made from salted fish eggs

The fish is usually a sturgeon

Popular in Russia, Western Europe, and with the wealthy

Price of Beluga caviar around $6,000 per kilo

Luxury Foods of Asia

Saffron Spice from Southeast Asia, prized in Asian and European cooking for its special taste Comes from the saffron crocus flower Price $2,000 per kilo

Spice from Southeast Asia, prized in Asian and European cooking for its special taste

Comes from the saffron crocus flower

Price $2,000 per kilo

Abalone Called 鲍鱼 in Chinese A kind of shellfish Popular in China but also eaten throughout the world Price around $50 per kilo

Called 鲍鱼 in Chinese

A kind of shellfish

Popular in China but also eaten throughout the world

Price around $50 per kilo

Bird’s Nest Soup Called 燕窝 in Chinese Made from a special bird’s nest found in South Asia Price of nests is between $2,000 and $10,000 per kilo, depending on quality

Called 燕窝 in Chinese

Made from a special bird’s nest found in South Asia

Price of nests is between $2,000 and $10,000 per kilo, depending on quality

Shark Fin Soup Called 鱼翅 in Chinese Popular throughout Asia, especially in Hong Kong Controversial because of how the fins are harvested Price up to $100 per bowl

Called 鱼翅 in Chinese

Popular throughout Asia, especially in Hong Kong

Controversial because of how the fins are harvested

Price up to $100 per bowl

Pangolin A kind of scaly anteater found in Africa and Asia Endangered Eaten as bushmeat in Africa and a delicacy in China Price of meat around $100 per kilo in China

A kind of scaly anteater found in Africa and Asia

Endangered

Eaten as bushmeat in Africa and a delicacy in China

Price of meat around $100 per kilo in China

Durian Called 榴莲 in China Native to SE Asia Soft, smelly fruit surrounded by a hard, sharp shell Price of exported durian can reach $10 per kilo

Called 榴莲 in China

Native to SE Asia

Soft, smelly fruit surrounded by a hard, sharp shell

Price of exported durian can reach $10 per kilo

Sea Cucumber Called 海参 in Chinese A sea animal related to the starfish Some are endangered Price around $150 per kilo dried, more if live

Called 海参 in Chinese

A sea animal related to the starfish

Some are endangered

Price around $150 per kilo dried, more if live

Fugu Japanese blowfish Should be prepared delicately, can poison the eater Illegal in many countries Price $300 per kilo, $1,000 in a restaurant

Japanese blowfish

Should be prepared delicately, can poison the eater

Illegal in many countries

Price $300 per kilo, $1,000 in a restaurant

Kobe Beef Most famous kind of Japanese Waygu cattle Fed in a special way to be more delicious than common beef Price up to $650 per kilo

Most famous kind of Japanese Waygu cattle

Fed in a special way to be more delicious than common beef

Price up to $650 per kilo

Civet Coffee Called kopi luwak in Indonesia The world’s most expensive coffee Price from $200-$1200 per kilo Has a very special production process – let’s look!

Called kopi luwak in Indonesia

The world’s most expensive coffee

Price from $200-$1200 per kilo

Has a very special production process – let’s look!

Civet Coffee Production

Discussion

Questions Why do people eat luxury food? Why do the Americas have fewer luxury foods? Should people be allowed to eat anything they want? Should luxury food be taxed? What luxury food would you like to eat?

Why do people eat luxury food?

Why do the Americas have fewer luxury foods?

Should people be allowed to eat anything they want?

Should luxury food be taxed?

What luxury food would you like to eat?