Whole wheat flour, spelt and water are the usual ingredients used to make bread, but add a touch of edible gold and you’ve got wealthy clients from all around the world stepping on each others’ toes trying to secure a loaf of the world’s most expensive bread. Made by Pan Piña bakery in the small Spanish village of Algatocin, the ‘gold leaf bread’ costs an unbelievable $150 per 400-gram loaf.

Pan Piña baker and co-owner Juan Manuel Moreno said that he came up with the idea for the bread after he saw the ‘world’s most expensive coffee’ on sale at another shop in the region. So he decided to dazzle up his own bread with a dash of edible gold worth over $100 both inside and on the surface of each loaf. However, he does agree that the shiny metal does nothing to enhance flavor.

“The gold itself has no real taste,” the 41-year-old said. “It just adds a certain sparkle, a lustre to each loaf. The rest of the ingredients are organic and super healthy. People believe small amounts of gold are good for the digestion.”

Moreno’s family has been running Pan Piña for the past 70 years. They produce over 50 varieties of bread, and the gold leaf is their most expensive loaf yet.

Interestingly, the bread has buyers from various parts of the globe – it is insanely popular in the Costa del Sol region, in Russia, and even in Middle eastern countries. “We have a lot of wealthy visitors from Russia and China here and they are always looking for something new to show how rich they are,” Moreno explained. A national supermarket chain is all set to start selling the product, while a restaurant in Ronda has also expressed interest.

Photos: Pan Piña/Facebook

Source: The Local