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Eating Gold And Silver
How
Do They Make Gold And Silver Safe To Eat?
John
Staughton
Gold and silver can both be consumed as food
additives or decorations, provided they are non-ionic forms that won’t be
absorbed by the body and are of a high enough quality to prevent the inclusion
of impurities.
If you’ve ever sampled genuine beluga caviar,
dipped strawberries in a Belgian chocolate fountain, or tasted a scotch that
was older than you, then you already understand something about decadence.
However, there is one culinary delight that
goes above and beyond these delicacies.
While most people keep their gold in vaults
or wrapped firmly around their finger, there are also those gastronomic
adventurers who prefer to eat their precious metals.
As in everything, where there is a demand,
there is subsequently a supply, and there are a number of different ways to
include 24 karat gold on the menu.
The question is, how do you make gold and
silver edible? And more importantly, is it safe to eat?
The History of Eating Gold
Although our capitalist-crazy modern world
may seem intrinsically linked to decadent behavior, there is a long tradition
of consuming gold as a sign of power and wealth, dating back thousands of years
to ancient Chinese, Japanese and Egyptian traditions.
Gold was manipulated and consumed in ancient
Rome, and then again found favor in the notoriously lavish palaces of the
Renaissance.
Despite not having any taste, gold leaf does
add an unmissable sparkle to a dish when you want to impress your guests!
Such extravagant consumption has changed, but
not disappeared, and the use of gold and silver in edible applications
continues to this day.
You will commonly find gold leaf adorning the
outside of wedding cakes, sprinkled on artisanal desserts at Michelin Star
restaurants, or as a luxurious addition to a high-end aperitif or cocktail.
This material can also be used as decoration
on plates and serving dishes, as well as table settings or take-home gifts,
truffles and candies.
Edible precious metal comes in a number of
forms, including gold flakes, crumbs, powder and gold leaf.
Pounding gold into thin sheets that can
easily be cut and folded is a very old and delicate practice.
With modern technology, gold leaf is now
light enough to be blown away in a gentle gust.
The use of paintbrushes, tweezers, and razor
blades is common to manipulate this material in intricate ways, without getting
it stuck to your fingers!
Depending on how the gold is going to be
used, it can be readily purchased in its various forms, explained above
Due to the accessibility of authentic gold
leaf, using this precious metal is no longer reserved for the super-elite.
Provided you can handle the price tag — which
is still considerable — there are many specialty restaurants and bars that
feature gold or silver in their delectable offerings.
In recent years, there have been dozens of
designer dishes with high-quality gold accents, including gold sushi, gold
burritos, gold chicken wings, gold hamburger buns, gold pizza topping and
gold-glazed donuts and gold-sprinkled pasta dishes.
The price tag for many of these dishes can
stretch into the hundreds (or thousands!), but the experience isn’t one that
you’re likely to forget.
Is Eating Gold and Silver Safe?
Aside from how cool it may feel to chomp down
on some serious coin, is it safe to eat a precious metal?
Obviously, many of the essential minerals
that our bodies need to function can also be found on the periodic table, but
you never hear about people taking “gold supplements”.
Well, if you’re considering dipping your
tongue into the world of golden cuisine, you can rest assured that gold is
generally safe to consume.
Can You Eat Gold?
To begin with, gold is chemically inert,
meaning that it will not be digested by the body and won’t interact with other
chemicals and compounds in dangerous ways.
Essentially, you will consume the small
amount of gold, it will pass through your digestive tract and be eliminated by
the body in essentially the same form it entered.
Now, when we talk about edible gold, it must
adhere to a very high standard of quality to be consumed.
Unlike gold jewelry, which may be mixed with
a number of other metals and may contain dangerous toxins or impurities, edible
gold must be between 22- and 24-karat.
This typically means that the gold is at least
90% pure gold, along with 10% of another pure metal, such as silver.
Can You Eat Silver?
Silver is not quite the same as gold, because
there are both ionic and non-ionic versions of this element.
The non-ionic version is inactive and cannot
be absorbed by the body, making it safe.
However, the ionic version of silver can be
digested the body, and can potentially cause toxic reactions.
Therefore, it is critical that you know the
source of any silver leaf, and ensure that it is of the highest possible quality.
The importance of purity for edible precious
metals cannot be overstated.
If you have too many impurities of other
metals, such as aluminum, it can cause a dangerous buildup in the body, which
can make it more difficult to absorb other essential minerals the body
requires, such as calcium and zinc.
In other words, you will want to spend the
extra money and ensure that you are getting pure gold or silver before you
start adding it to your top-shelf dishes.
A Final Word
The average person may think of eating gold
in the same way as they view lighting cigars with hundred-dollar bills, but
this is a novelty practice that is rapidly becoming more accessible to the
masses.
Decadence and its socioeconomic implications
aside, enjoying a delicious dessert topped with gold flakes is a bit of a rush.
So long as you only consume high-purity
precious metals in moderation, you shouldn’t encounter any negative side
effects from such a sumptuous treat.
John Staughton is a traveling
writer, editor, publisher and photographer who earned his English and
Integrative Biology degrees from the University of Illinois. He is the
co-founder of a literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and the Content Director
for Stain’d Arts, an arts nonprofit based in Denver. On a perpetual journey
towards the idea of home, he uses words to educate, inspire, uplift and evolve.
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