Five Fabulous Imports With Heavy Price Tags

The United States has always prided itself in its ability to be self-reliant. However, there have always been certain items that we just can’t produce with the same characteristics as the products’ origins, particularly in the area of consumable items.
Five Fabulous Imports With Heavy Price Tags
Beluga caviar is considered some of the most premium and expensive, if even available, caviar in the world. Sergiy Goruppa/Photos.com
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<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/BelugaCaviar.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-293178" title="Beluga caviar is considered some of the most premium and expensive, if even available, caviar in the world.  Sergiy Goruppa/Photos.com" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/BelugaCaviar-676x450.jpg" alt="Beluga caviar is considered some of the most premium and expensive, if even available, caviar in the world.  Sergiy Goruppa/Photos.com" width="590" height="392"/></a>
Beluga caviar is considered some of the most premium and expensive, if even available, caviar in the world.  Sergiy Goruppa/Photos.com

The United States has always prided itself in its ability to be self-reliant. However, there have always been certain items that we just can’t produce with the same characteristics as the products’ origins, particularly in the area of consumable items. In addition, many of these items also tend to sell for top dollar in the United States.

Here are just a few of the many food items that don’t come cheaply in the United States. These are my five favorite indulgences.

 

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota


Jamón ibérico de bellota is a particular deli meat that is one of the highest grades of Spanish serrano ham. It can be purchased at many European delis or gourmet food markets. Often it can be found wherever Italian prosciutto di Parma is sold. 

Both Spanish serrano and Italian prosciutto sell for around $18–$24 per pound, with the former costing slightly more. These hams are dry-cured in a strictly monitored environment. Being dry-cured, they are not cooked, so they are essentially raw, but it is still safe to eat pork this way. They have to be stored at the perfect humidity and aged for a specific amount of time. 

Jamón ibérico means Iberian ham or ham from the Iberian Peninsula, where Spain and Portugal are located. Bellota means acorn. What makes Jamón ibérico de bellota different from your average Spanish serrano ham is that a select breed of Spanish black-footed pig is used. They are fed a diet consisting of mostly acorns. The acorns imbue the meat with a flavor simply impossible to replicate. 

Without traveling to Europe, if you want to enjoy this delectable meat in the United States, consider yourself lucky if you can find it for under $75 per pound. 

 

Beluga Caviar


Another delicacy is caviar. Beluga caviar is considered some of the most premium and expensive, if even available, caviar in the world. It’s produced in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Caviar is the roe (eggs) of fish. 

The caviar is served raw and chilled, usually on toast points or crackers, as an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer. The eggs are harvested from the beluga sturgeon. Because the beluga is endangered, the availability of beluga caviar is extremely limited, and when available—very expensive. One ounce is about $180.

 

Black Truffles


These subterranean mushroom-like fungi are native mostly to France, Italy, and Spain. They have been prized for their culinary uses since as early as the 17th century. They have a sweet, slightly pungent flavor and are used sparingly on pastas, rice, egg dishes, or salads to give them a unique flavor. 

Truffles are difficult to domesticate and cultivate. Because of this, widespread truffle farms are simple non-existent. To this day, truffle hunters use trained pigs or dogs to aid in locating these wild underground tubers. 

The going rate for truffles fluctuates with availability and popularity. Right now one truffle will cost you about $40, and a pound of fresh truffles is around $500.

 

Saffron

 

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