Expensive asparagus
The most expensive food is the food you can’t buy. And for which you are willing to pay for anyway. Strangely enough it is often food that costs next to nothing.
Here’s what a Sicilian friend told me a couple of years ago: as most Sicilians he had relatives in the States. People that left Sicily dirt poor and built an empire. His great-uncle (or something) climbed all the way up the social ladder, from helper to a decorator to mayor of a small city on the West coast.
My friend and his sister, both in their late teens, were overwhelmed by the opulence they found when arriving. A chauffeur picked them up at the airport, the house was a mansion, the furniture lavish. Uncle Sonny (zù Santo) was the epitome of the American dream. Only the best was good enough. The meatballs served at dinner were plenty and especially big. The steak served was the biggest they had ever seen.
Yet, later that night, unable to sleep due to the jet lag, my friend found his great-uncle sitting in the sumptuous kitchen, eating spaghetti with the wild asparagus he and his sister had brought. Uncle Sonny stated they were the best food in the world. And that he wouldn’t sell for anything in the world, let alone share them. Making them the most expensive food.
