13 Most Expensive Foods in the World (#11 Is Worth Every Penny)

Consistently dining out regularly often appears on lists of foolish ways to waste money, but for special occasions or for foodies who love fine dining, the occasional splurge at a fancy restaurant feels warranted. However, the 13 foods listed below take the concept of splurging to the next level.

These 13 foods are among the rarest and most expensive in the world, although it's hard to argue that #11 isn't worth the hefty sticker price.

Truffles already have a pricey reputation, but Alba truffles are on a whole other level. They're primarily grown in northern Italy and require very specific conditions to grow. The final product is said to have an earthy flavor that people are willing to pay a pretty penny to try.

Currently, just one ounce of the truffles is listed for $575 on a gourmet online marketplace.

Known as the world's most expensive spice, saffron is a colorful and flavorful ingredient that needs to be hand-picked and carefully dried.

The spice is graded for quality, with A or I being the most expensive. Currently, an ounce of category I saffron from Spain is listed for over $150 online.

Already an expensive rarity, the Japanese Matsutake mushroom has been selling for even higher prices recently as demand for the large fungi has continued to grow.

The Matsutake must be foraged in Japan's red pine forests, and with demand starting to outpace supply, they've been known to sell for outrageous prices like $1,000 a pound.

Kopi Luwak coffee beans must pass through the digestive system of a civet, a type of wild cat found in Asia. They are then gathered, cleaned, and made into a very expensive cup of coffee.

The process supposedly yields a java experience like no other — and 7.1 ounces of the beans costs around $135. For comparison, a 12-ounce bag of Starbucks beans costs about $10.

Bluefin tuna is a prized fish particularly popular in Japanese dishes. Due to high-demand and overfishing, prices have continued to spike.

Two pounds of bluefin tuna loin from Maine will run you about $90 — and high-end buyers have been known to spend hundreds of thousands on whole fish. A group in Japan purchased a 608-pound whole bluefin at the famed Tokyo Toyosu Fish Market for $1.3 million this year.

Collecting Elvish honey involves an eight-hour hike alongside the Black Sea Mountains in northern Turkey. The honey is collected from bees native to the land which collect pollen from wildflowers, and is said to have healing powers.

There is only one harvest a year, and it yields just 33 150-milliliter bottles of raw honey. Current prices are $1,750 a pop.

Almas caviar is the most expensive caviar in the world — and one of the most expensive foods as well. It comes from an elder beluga sturgeon that is only found in the Caspian Sea.

Sourcing the caviar is quite difficult, and those who want to try the delicacy must be willing to pay big bucks. One ounce is known to go for nearly $600.

Fugu is a puffer fish and a Japanese delicacy — it could also kill you. Because the chefs that prepare fugu have to be trained to avoid poisoning their customers, dishes that feature the fish tend to be pricey. You could be looking at a plate price of $100 to $200 to sample the delicacy.

As you can probably guess, it's not easy to milk a moose. That's why cheese made from it, hailing from Bjurholm, Sweden, is one of the most expensive varieties in the world.

The aptly named Moose House (Älgens Hus in Swedish) makes four varieties of their unique cheese, and it sells for as much as $500 per pound.

It's one of the most expensive meats in the world, but for anyone who appreciates a good steak, it's well worth the price for a true melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Kobe beef is made from wagyu cattle, which hail from a specific region in Japan, and must meet high standards to be considered Kobe. The high-end steaks are known to go for $300 or more.

Gooseneck barnacles are incredibly difficult to harvest. Fishermen can sometimes strip the salty seafood from surf-smashed rocks, but in certain cases, a diver with a pry bar is needed.

A 2-pound bag, with about 15 to 25 barnacles per pound, was recently listed at auction for $120, and the delicacy is known to go for much more.

Iberico ham, or Jamón ibérico, is made from the meat of a rare breed of pig that roams freely in Spain and Portugal and eats mostly acorns. The diet gives the ham a distinct flavor.

It's so distinct that people are willing to pay hundreds to try it. A leg of Iberico ham could run you up $1,500 or more.

Densuke watermelons are unique, hard to grow, and have been known to sell for baffling prices at auction. These aren't your average green melons — they have smooth, black skin and must be grown on a specific Japanese island where they have access to volcanic soil.

They regularly sell for hundreds of dollars, and in 2008, one was auctioned for over $6,000.

Even with careful budgeting, it might be hard to stretch your grocery budget enough to justify spending quite so much on food. Yet, delicacies often get their reputation (and their price) because they offer a truly unique dining experience, which many do consider priceless.