- August 7, 2017
- Category: Gold
In July 2016, musician 2 Chainz appeared on The Late Show with Steven Colbert and displayed one of his favorite movie-night treats: gold popcorn. For many viewers, this flashy display served as an introduction to a little-known culinary trend involving food and drink that contain real gold. With that in mind, here’s a completely different spin on gold consumption.
A Primer on Edible Gold Leaf
It turns out that pure gold and only pure gold (most gold alloys contain metals that are not safe to consume) is biologically inert. Should gold pass through a human’s or animal’s digestive tract, the body would not absorb any of it. In fact, edible gold leaf probably dates back as far as ancient Egypt when Egyptians believed gold offered spiritual purification, cured disease, restored youth, and refreshed the mind. One historical figure who believed in the powers of gold was Paracelsus, a 16th-century researcher and one of the founders of pharmacology who developed many medicines that included gold.
The Many, Many Ways to Enjoy Gold
Perhaps the most notorious and inexpensive form of gold consumption is Goldschlager, an Italian-based schnapps with cinnamon and trace amounts of gold flakes. However, cheap alcohol is far from the “gold standard” in gold dieting.
Other restaurants and bars in the U.S. also serve gold, including Blackstone Steakhouse in Long Island, NY which famously offers a dish called The Gold Brick Chicken, a 24-karat topped entree and a top-list item. New York’s Serendipity 3 sells a gold-topped ice cream sundae complete with an 18-karat gold spoon. Chicago’s Deca Restaurant + Bar serves the Zillion-Dollar Grilled Cheese, a gold-plated grilled cheese with a side of lobster mac and cheese for $100. For $40 per strip, you can buy 23-karat gold chocolate bacon from Baconery.
Some of the many other potential gold meals you might encounter include:
- gold leaf-painted donuts
- gold leaf-wrapped sushi
- gold-flaked chocolates
- gold leaf-drizzled ice cream
- gold-crusted cocktail glasses
- gold leaf-covered lamb shank
- gold-dusted pancakes or waffles
- gold-dipped blueberries
- gold-infused champagne or rum
- gold-wrapped cigars
You Can Buy Gold Leaf for Your Own Meals
Want to impress your own dinner guests? Made-for-consumption gold leaf is easy to find. Retail vendors range from gold distributors to gold auction sites (and even online marketplaces such as Amazon.com). Most consumable gold offerings come in shaved leaf or smaller, less uniform flake shapes. If you don’t like the offerings at traditional gold outlets, you might also try arts and crafts stores. There’s even a tutorial for using gold on your food. Shakers of 24-karat edible gold leaf are perhaps the most common food-based gold accoutrements. For something a little more flashy, however, try a gold-flake salt shaker.
We Recommend Considering Gold in Your Portfolio, Not in Your Food
Gold remains the most popular precious metal for commodity investing, both in the United States and internationally. Since many gold bars and coins qualify for Self-Directed IRA inclusion, investors can protect their portfolio while staving off the IRS, too.
You can own real, physical gold bullion and store it in a tax-advantaged retirement vehicle. American Bullion can discuss your options and help you every step of the way.