You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

Matcha green tea powder. High in antioxidants and caffeine, matcha green tea powder is finely ground and can be used in baking, juices or for flavoring ice cream or other gourmet desserts. Expect to pay as much as $288 per kilogram for ceremonial grade matcha green tea powder.

[Lee Stewart]

Pure vanilla is second only to saffron when it comes to the priciest spices. Madagascar, Mexico and Indonesia are the largest producers but growing and harvesting this sought-after ingredient is very labor-intensive as the vanilla flowers have to be hand-pollinated and the fruit hand-picked once ripe. A kilogram (2.2lbs) of high-quality vanilla beans will leave you around $400 out of pocket.

[Lee Stewart]

Even though this mollusk can be caught in many places around the world, it's an extremely complicated process and these sea snails also run a high risk of extinction so some countries allow fishermen to catch only 10 a day. Renowned for its delicious meat, abalone is one of the most expensive shellfish you could eat, costing as much as $500 per kilogram (2.2lbs). Due to the heavy shell protecting the edible part, that translates to only about 250g (just under 9oz) of the actual meat.

[Lee Stewart]

It may come at a price but honey from manuka bushes is believed to cure everything from sore throats to superbugs. A word of caution: make sure you’re getting the real deal. Look for a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating of 10+ or more on its label, as cheaper imitations are likely to be less effective. Manuka honey of the highest grade can be sold for as much as $501 for a kilogram (2.2lbs).

[Lee Stewart]

The most expensive ham in the world comes from Iberian hogs who devour around 7kg (15lbs) of acorns every day. Once butchered, the meat is hung for at least two years, producing dark red meat that’s sweet, nutty and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Expect to pay as much as $4,500 for around 8kg (18lbs) of bone-in jamón Ibérico de bellota.

[Lee Stewart]

You might not think potatoes are a luxury food, however, these posh spuds can be sold for as much as $569 per kilogram (2.2lbs). They grow only in the mineral-rich soil of the small French island of Noirmoutier and are only in season for around a week in early May. They're harvested by hand three months after planting and have a distinctive salty flavor that is said to pair well with caviar.

[Lee Stewart]

Among the most expensive dairy products in the world is the unique cheese made from moose milk. The cheese is made in The Elk House in Sweden by Christer and Ulla Johansson and uses milk produced by three moose – Gullan, Helga and Juno. The cheese is available in four varieties: soft, white mold cheese, creamy blue, dry blue and feta-style. The latter is the farm's bestseller and will set you back around $1,000 per kilogram (2.2lbs).

[Lee Stewart]

Ayam Cemani chickens, an unusual Indonesian breed, are all black right the way from their feathers and organs to their muscles and even blood. Believed to have magical powers, the meat is said to bring good fortune and cure various illnesses. The chickens are much sought-after in their native land as well as abroad and a healthy, medium-sized chicken has sold for as much as $2,140.

[Lee Stewart]

These green tips of the hop plant is the bit brewers don't use, however, they come with a very serious price tag. A kilogram (2.2lbs) of these shoots can cost up to $1,135, making hop shoots the most expensive vegetable in the world. It's harvesting that makes them so expensive as the hop plants don't grow in uniform rows, making for very lengthy and labor-intensive picking. While the raw flavor tastes a bit like nettles and is very astringent, when cooked, the shoots become slightly nutty and resemble the texture of samphire..

[Lee Stewart]

Genuine kopi luwak is collected from the droppings of wild civet cats that prowl Indonesian coffee plantations at night, eating ripe coffee cherries. The cats can’t digest the beans so workers collect their precious droppings that are then washed, pounded, dried and roasted. Often touted as the rarest and most expensive coffee in the world, it also comes with serious concerns as many Balinese farmers keep the civets in appalling conditions in a bid to attract tourists, who shell out as much as $1,200 for a kilogram (2.2lbs).