Fair warning: this is not an article you want to read when you’re hungry!

15. Black Ivory Coffee – $70

Though technically not exactly a food, coffee is such an important source of nourishment for so many people that we had to include the world’s most expensive blend. Plus, the way it is made is really interesting. See, the reason it’s called Black Ivory coffee is because it is made by passing the Arabica coffee beans (sourced from northern Thailand) through the stomach of the elephants, which digest them (adding the remarkable flavor), and then, umm, excrete the result.

 

14. Juuni Bun Tokyo Dog – $169

You usually think of hot dogs as simple street food, something you get as a quick bite until you can sit down for a more substantial meal. But the Juuni Bun, created by the Tokyo Dog food truck in Seattle, is a feast in-and-of-itself. It contains smoked cheese bratwurst, butter Teriyaki grilled onions, Maitake mushrooms, Wagyu beef, foie gras, shaved black truffles, caviar, and Japanese mayonnaise, all served up in a brioche bun. All proceeds from the sale of this decadent hot dog went to the Red Cross.

13. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Soup – $190

Soup is usually a relatively simple and inexpensive kind of food – after all, its staple component is water. But not if the other ingredients are things like shark’s fin, abalone, Japanese flower mushroom, sea cucumber, dried scallops, chicken, huan ham, pork, and ginseng, as is the case with the most expensive soup in the world, served at London’s Kai Mayfair restaurant. Called (somewhat humorously) Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, because it is supposedly so good the vegetarian monks felt the need to leave their temples just to have some, the soup is so unique it has to be ordered five days in advance.

12. Steveston Seafood Pizza –  $720

Steveston Pizza in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, serves the world’s most expensive pizza. As you might expect, this isn’t your average pie. This deluxe dish features lobster thermidor, black Alaskan cod, smoked salmon, tiger prawns, and Russian Osetra caviar. If you think this is a seafood lover’s wet dream, that’s because the restaurant owner and creator of the pizza is himself a seafood aficionado.

9., 10., 11. Krispy Kreme Donut at Selfridges – $1,000

Unveiled earlier this year at Selfridges, London, this donut created by Krispy Kreme is the most expensive in the world. It took three days to assemble (yes, assemble) and was made using such high-end ingredients as Dom Pérignon vintage 2002 champagne jelly, gold dusted Belgian chocolate flower, and edible diamonds. And in case you’d still have qualms about paying over $1,000 for a donut, it was actually part of a fundraising campaign to raise money for a UK children’s charity. Which is, ahem, kind of sweet.

9., 10., 11.Westin Hotel Bagel – $1,000

Executive Chef Frank Tujague, of New York’s Westin Hotel, created an incredibly expensive bagel, which was topped with white truffle cream cheese, goji berry-infused Riesling jelly, and gold leaves. Most of its hefty price tag is due to the white truffles, which happen to be one of the most expensive foodstuffs on the planet. Also worth mentioning is the fact that part of the proceeds from the bagel went to charity.

9., 10., 11. The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata – $1,000

The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata doesn’t really cost a zillion dollars (whatever that is) – though it is indeed a catchy name. But it’s still an incredibly pricey omelette, served at Norma’s restaurant, Le Parker Meridien Hotel, New York. It contains 10 ounces of caviar and about one pound lobster, covered with egg on a bed of fried potatoes.

8. Golden Phoenix Cupcake – $1,007

Dubai is the place to go for many of the world’s most expensive items, so it’s no surprise you’re going to find some really pricey foods there. Like the amazing Golden Phoenix cupcake, part of a meal worth a whopping $28,000. Created by Bloomsbury’s Boutique Café and Artisan Bakery, the dessert features Amedei Porcelana chocolate and Ugandan vanilla beans, and is covered in 23-carat edible gold sheets.

7. Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel Pancake – $1,250

A Manchester restaurant has created the most extravagant pancake in the world. Admittedly, the dish contains ingredients you wouldn’t think of putting in your pancakes (even if you had an unlimited budget!), like Scottish lobster and mussels, Beluga caviar, and Hulle Verge truffle. The unusual meal is topped with a hollandaise sauce made using Dom Perignon Rose.

6. The Glamburger – $1,700

The Honky Tonk restaurant in Chelsea, one of London’s more upscale neighborhoods, has created the world’s most expensive hamburger. It consists of 220g of Kobe wagyu beef, minced with 60g of New Zealand venison, and with a black truffle Brie at its center. And that’s not all: other ingredients include bacon coated with maple syrup, beluga caviar, and a hickory smoked duck egg covered in gold leaf, everything seasoned with Himalayan salt and served with a Canadian lobster poached in Iranian saffron.

5. Angelito Araneta Jr.’s Sushi – $1,978

The most expensive sushi doesn’t come from London, or Dubai, or the United States, or even Japan. Surprisingly, the man who holds the honor of making that dish is young Filipino chef Angelito Araneta Jr. His nigira sushi is served with 24-carat thing gold sheets, as well as 0.2-carat African diamonds –all edible, of course. A serving includes five pieces and costs almost $2,000.

4. Jamón Ibérico – $2,800

Jamón ibérico (literally Iberian ham) is considered the world’s most expensive ham. The very top of the range could be found at the Food Hall in Selfridges, London. It is sourced from pigs that were only fed acorns and roots, giving the meat its distinctive flavor. The ham is then cured for three years, and presented in a handmade wooden box with an apron handmade by a Spanish tailor. Also included is a DNA certificate confirming its authenticity, because when you’re paying almost $200 per pound, you want to know you’re getting the right thing.

3. Samundari Khazana Curry -$3,200

An Indian restaurant in London called the Bombay Brasserie has created the world’s most expensive curry. Dubbed Samundari Khazana (seafood treasure), the dish boast a series of extremely pricey ingredients, like Devon crab, white truffle, Beluga caviar, a Scottish lobster coated in gold, four abalones, and four quail eggs. And of course you can’t have a treasure without some gold, so this extravagant curry also features gold leaf.

2. The Fence Gate Inn Meat Pie – $14,260

The Fence Gate Inn, located in Lancashire (northwestern England) served its customers the world’s most expensive meat pie. A very impressive list of ingredients comprises Japanese wagyu beef fillet, Chinese matsutake mushrooms, Winter Black truffles, French Bluefoot mushrooms, and gravy made from made two bottles of vintage 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild wine – everything topped with edible gold leaf.

1. The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae – $25,000

After the feast we’ve offered until now, it’s only appropriate we end with the world’s most expensive dessert. Created by New York restaurant Serendipity 3, the The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate ice cream sundae is a fabulous mix of 28 cocoas (including 14 of the world’s most pricey!). It is adorned with 5 g (0.17 oz) of edible 23-carat gold and is served in a goblet lined with edible gold, with an 18-carat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds at its base. The dessert is eaten with a gold spoon, which is decorated with white and chocolate-colored diamonds (you’ve probably figured out why this is so ridiculously expensive) – and is given to the customer.