This Might Be The Most Expensive Bagel Ever Sold
Crusty on the outside, soft and warm in the middle, nothing can compare to the chewy goodness of biting into a freshly baked bagel. With a simple schmear of cream cheese, and some fresh pieces of lox, these doughy treats are the perfect breakfast food to toast and eat on-the-go or pair with your morning coffee on a leisurely Sunday morning. From sweet to savory, plain to everything, this versatile food comes in a wide range of flavors, so there is always something for everyone. For adventurous home cooks, there are recipes for bagels you can make at home.
While no one can deny that bagels are a superior breakfast food, how much would you be willing to spend on this chewy delight? Perhaps $1,000? Anyone? Anyone?
Bagels are a signature breakfast food in the Big Apple, so it's no surprise that the most expensive bagel in the world hails from New York City. In 2007, the Westin Hotel in Times Square debuted a bagel known as the $1,000 bagel. This one-of-a-kind baked beauty was thought up by none other than culinary genius and Executive Chef Frank Tujague. Although this bagel was only on the menu for one month, the hotel received frequent requests, year after year, for the return of this pricey pastry, which ultimately came back a decade later in 2017. Read on to discover whether or not you would be willing to pay top dollar for this luxurious baked good.
What makes this luxurious bagel so incredibly expensive?
You are probably wondering: What makes this bagel so special? And so outlandishly pricey? According to The Manual, the answer is simple — It's the truffles: "The $1,000 bagel is smeared with a cream cheese infused with Alba truffles, a delicacy found only in northern Italy's Piedmont region around the city of Alba." These exquisite fungi are so few and far between that trained pigs and dogs are needed to hunt down these rarities. In an interview with NBC, a spokeswoman from the Westin states that "pound for pound, the white truffle is the second most expensive food in the world, after caviar." One ounce of white Alba truffles can cost more than $250. Yikes. On the bright side, says NBC, the $1,000 price tag includes tax and tip.
Although some might still view the $1,000 bagel as an overpriced piece of bread, customers are getting even more bang for their buck. To complement the truffle cream cheese is a "goji berry-infused Riesling jelly" that is "topped with gold flakes." Talk about the height of luxury. Although the gold flakes are flavorless, they add another grandiose element to this already extravagant masterpiece. Despite the outrageous price-tag, customers were able to eat this tasty treat without too much of a guilty conscience, as all of the proceeds went to the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.
Sadly, the $1,000 bagel is no longer on the Westin breakfast menu. Sorry, bagel aficionados. But we're still dreaming that it will one day return.