Truffle

An underground fungus worth more per kilogram than gold/Food & Drinks

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of subterranean fungi in the genus Tuber that grow 5 to 30 cm underground in symbiotic association with the roots of certain trees, particularly oaks, hazels, and beeches. The white truffle of Alba (Tuber magnatum) is the most expensive food in the world, regularly selling for 3,000 to 5,000 euros per kilogram, with exceptional specimens fetching over 100,000 euros. Their intense, complex aroma contains dimethyl sulfide and other volatile compounds that can permeate through soil, which is why trained dogs (and historically pigs) are used to locate them. Despite centuries of effort, white truffles have never been successfully cultivated.