From early 17th century, the Irish holiday of St Patrick's day has become a multi-nation celebration characterized by public parades, music sessions and festivals. In addition to that, it comes with our favourite bakery items and snacks dressed in green food colouring and edible gold.
This article will be uncovering the truth behind edible gold. After all, how is it that the hidden pot of treasure of leprechauns have made its way to a novel innovative delicacy of the food industry? Are there any health effects of consuming this sparkling metal?
The use of gold first dates back to the time of Egyptian pharaohs over 5,000 years ago, where gold leaves were used to decorate the tombs of pharaohs (ancient Egyptian monarchs) to win the favour of the Gods. This precious metal has thus became what we consider today as jewelry. Gold was also consumed by the Egyptians for the purpose of mental, bodily and spiritual purification – as alchemists in Alexandria, Egypt believed that a liquid gold elixir they developed could restore youth, rejuvenate one’s body, and rid the body of all earthly diseases. The Egyptians in fact were not the only ones to have an appetite for this shiny, malleable metal. In Kanazawa, Japan, gold dust tea has also been a tradition for centuries, as well as gold leaves for decoration and remedies. In many European countries, notably the Elizabethan English, gold was believed to be a supplement for health and longevity and also a symbol for wealth. Meals and beverages were sometimes decorated with gold leaves, as well as gold leaf coated pills and other gold water tinctures.
In the 1900’s, the medical effects of gold were widely explored. Surgeons implanted gold near an inflamed joint as the pain subsided. French doctors discovered that gold in drugs treated rheumatoid arthritis. In the past few decades, studies on the use of gold on treatment of arthritis, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc., has exhibited positive effects on healing when implemented in a drug delivery system, with no side effects at all.
Edible gold today has become an extravagant, viral sensation, with pictures of gold garnished confections and even gold coated sushi sparkling on Instagram. Widely used in haute cuisine, it is in fact tasteless but employed mostly as a garnish for its luxurious and shiny appearance. This use of edible gold started out as a viral phenomenon in Dubai, as it is becoming increasingly more accessible to restaurants and cafes in different countries.
To make edible gold, pure gold of around 23-24 karats are pounded and rolled until 1/8,000 mm in thickness. The resulting product is known as gold leaf – which is then sold in sheets, flakes, or powder. This gold can then be gently pressed or brushed onto confections such as chocolate. It is imperative that the gold for consumption is 23-24 carats, which implies the absence of other toxic metals. Gold used for edible applications are in fact specifically labelled and approved as E-175 by the European Food Safety Administrate (EFSA) in 2016 for uses in additive and food colouring. Edible gold is considered biologically inert, meaning it does not oxidize, corrode, or react inside our body. While depending on the size, amount and frequency consumed, it theoretically passes through our digestive tract unabsorbed and is eliminated as waste, meaning that little to no benefit or harm is reaped upon consumption. However, the EFSA claims that there is a “lack of data on toxicity, purity and the exact nature of gold used on or in foods.” Meanwhile, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not published any guidelines on edible gold consumption.
Ultimately, edible gold is merely an aesthetic garnish. Its shiny and sunny colour embodies social values very relevant in the earlier eras, such as display of wealth and power. The fact that ingestion of gold has no contribution to taste or health perhaps only further strengths those concepts and distances themselves from the world of practical necessity. In the current consumer culture, the use of edible gold not only elevates the status of the chef, it also provides a luxurious aura for the consumer. As the godfather of edible-gold cooking, Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi of Lake Como’s Grand Hotel Tremezzo says, "It’s the complete seduction of both the eye and the taste. In cuisine, these two pleasures cannot be separated because everything that is beautiful is also good.”
For those looking to make your own edible leprechaun pot of gold… here is a recipe on Edible Gold Oreos! https://simplybeingmommy.com/2018/02/15/edible-gold-oreos/
Written by: Tracy Liu; U2 Food Chemistry Student
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