3x the most expensive spices in the world
Due to globalization and the arrival of the internet, products that used to be so exclusive that you might only have been able to read about them are now available. These days, an incredible number of ingredients can simply be ordered online, and many of those products are affordable too. We can’t say whether that’s always a positive thing (and happens without scams), but the fact remains that nowadays you too can cook with Ceylon cinnamon or black cardamom without too much effort.
So what’s left as a truly exorbitantly expensive spice on the world stage? (Incidentally, pepper used to be unaffordable too, hence the expression.) Well, these three spices are still ultra-exclusive:
Vanilla
The good news is that a lot of work is being done on a steady production of Dutch vanilla, which will hopefully also become available to ordinary consumers. For now, we still make do with those very expensive shriveled little sticks from the supermarket, which, if you’re unlucky, have already dried out too—meaning they sometimes break before you’ve scraped out two minuscule seeds. Until then, the fact remains that vanilla is among the most exclusive spices in the world.
Saffron
Saffron is also known as red gold. We previously wrote about this particularly labor-intensive ingredient, and even then we could reveal one thing: cheap saffron doesn’t exist. Leave that stuff alone and keep saving for a few threads of the real deal, and you won’t believe what you’re tasting…
Angelica
Just look at that name—surely you’d pay a little extra for it? No, you don’t have to, especially once you know that this isn’t a spice that has come down to us from heaven. It’s actually a part of the fennel plant. But while ‘regular’ fennel seeds are perfectly affordable (and delicious to use in chhonk!), angelica is another name for fennel pollen. And that is particularly special because it’s even more aromatic and floral, and, like saffron, requires a labor-intensive harvesting and production process.
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