Lavish Sprinkles

At the dawn of mankind, even for Egyptian Pharaohs, the passion and fetish for gold knew no boundaries. It is even said that Cleopatra used to sleep with a pure gold face mask, of course, owing to her unearthly and bewitching beauty. From emperors to priests to the elites and upper-middle-class, those who held gold received a status symbol.

Chef Ishijyot Surri, Co-Founder & Executive Chef of Pachinco Cafe enlightens us, “Edible gold is the shiny element that we all love, but one that looks gorgeous on a dish and eaten too. While previously it was a thing to be used only on the most extravagant European chocolates or the finest continental dishes, today edible gold has walked into becoming mainstream that can be used on diverse food preparations including Indian. Gold because of its purity and affluence is highly regarded and so is edible gold in the food industry across the world.”

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Starting the trend of consuming gold by the Egyptians, the now gastronomical world still bears the same enthusiasm of coating food with it. Corporate Chef Megha Agarwal of Auro Kitchen & Bar and Summerhouse Cafe tells, “Edible gold is nothing but pure 24-carat gold. Either that, or it is a mix of pure gold and other non-toxic metals such as pure gold and pure silver hammered into thin sheets, flakes, gold dust and gold petals and sold for consumption”.

However, there can still be found people sceptical about the idea of consuming gold. But, is just a form of feeding the ego or nutritious enough to the body? Nisha Bajaj, Nutritionist at Digestive Health Institute shares, “There is a psychological aspect to many consumers who believe something this valuable and rare must also be a benefit to health. However, it includes certain health benefits as well. Gold salts or dust are well-known for their use in rheumatoid arthritis treatment and similar applications. The gold can calm acne inflammation, reduce skin redness and protect against sun damage”. The benefits and nutritious activities of edible gold find a debatable place. Consumption of gold should only be done in its purest form- 23 carats or 24 carats as otherwise there are chances of other elements being present along which may prove to be harmful to the body.

In a world of growing counterfeit marketing, a substance of grandeur like edible gold can easily be imitated. Its authenticity always makes one raises a brow and needs to be constantly assured. Chef Anas Qureshi of Molecule Air Bar advises, “Always buy gold leaf from a trusted seller and brand certified to manufacture gold leaf. Testing a piece of gold’s authenticity is a necessary step done by common methods like acid and scratch testing and electronic gold testing”.

Edible gold is a current trend in luxury restaurants, with pastry chefs and

chocolatiers. Even, some special champagne and wines can be found dotted with edible gold flakes. Chef Megha tells, “It is mainly used for aesthetic purposes. A metallic hint on top of an Indian mithai or gold dust for shiny glitz and glamour. Gold leaf is commonly used to coat mini confectionary as well such a bite-sized truffle. In savoury dishes too, it is used to garnish opulent dishes such as a saffron risotto or rich Indian curries”. Chef Ishijyot adds, “Presentation plays a far-reaching role in the gourmet industry and here is where edible gold plays its part beautifully. It is also a big hit when added to our good old tea, giving is a premium pedestal. The idea is even the simplest of food preparations reach a great notch by adding these edible beauties”.