Luxury ingredients once worth more than gold—and who’s bringing them back
Once upon a time, empires were built not on oil or steel, but on flavour. Salt, for example, sparked wars, saffron was hoarded like treasure and oysters were a royal privilege. Didn’t Magellan sail halfway around the world in pursuit of the spice trade—among other ambitions? It ended in his death, but that was how spices impacted the economy. Across Asia, the world’s most coveted pantry staples didn’t just season food: they shaped trade routes, diplomacy and entire cuisines.
Now, a new wave of producers, chefs and culinary historians is pulling these luxury ingredients back from the dusty shelves of history and restoring them to glory. These were once the crown jewels of cuisine, coveted as much for their rarity as for their taste.
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The Philippines’s ancient salt pans: once traded for gold
You find it on every table, so who would have thought that salt would be one of history’s luxury ingredients? In pre-colonial Philippines, salt was so precious that it was used in barter and even paid as tribute to chieftains. A pound of the highest quality local salt was once traded for a pound of gold. The archipelago’s ancient asinderos, or salt farms, turned seawater into glistening crystals through sun, wind and weeks of patience.
In the late 20th century, however, the passage of the Salt Iodisation Law, which promoted iodised salt for public health, combined with the availability of cheap imported versions, led to the near-extinction of traditional salt-making.
In Pangasinan, a handful of artisans are reviving century-old asin tibuok and tapok methods. Seawater is first evaporated in driftwood-fired vats before the briny liquid is poured into clay pots. These pots are then fired over coconut husk fires for days, giving the resulting salt a smoky, almost caramel aroma. This is more of a heritage condiment than regular table salt. Manila chefs are paying premium prices to shave it over fresh mangoes, grilled prawns and even chocolate desserts, proving its value has returned.
Vietnam’s royal oyster beds: from emperor’s feast to fine dining revival
Photo: Anima Visual / Unsplash
Once cheap food in medieval Europe, oysters became a luxury ingredient a few centuries later, on the other side of the world.
In Vietnam’s Nguyen dynasty courts, oysters were a status symbol. The Van Don pearl oyster, or Pinctada fucata, grown in the clean, mineral-rich waters of Halong Bay and the Gulf of Tonkin, was reserved for the royal household and visiting dignitaries. Over time, pollution, overharvesting and shifting tastes saw these “imperial oysters” nearly disappear.
Today, eco-aquaculture cooperatives in Quang Ninh province are restoring the oyster reefs. Through sustainable seeding and farming practices, they are nurturing a new generation of plump, briny bivalves. The distinct minerality of the oysters, a result of the limestone-rich waters of the bay, has drawn comparisons from chefs to a sip of fine Chablis. Upscale Hanoi and Saigon restaurants now serve them with yuzu mignonette or grilled over lemongrass embers—a far cry from their courtly banquets, but with all the original decadence intact.
See more: Top 5 oyster dishes
Kashmir’s saffron gardens: red threads of royalty
Photo: Vera De / Unsplash
Long before saffron became a luxury export for European haute cuisine, it was the pride of Kashmir. The region’s saffron, grown in the sun-bathed fields of Pampore, has been prized for centuries for its deep crimson threads and high crocin content, making it more intense in both colour and aroma. It was a favourite of the Mughal emperors, who used it in both royal feasts and religious ceremonies.
By the late 20th century, erratic rainfall, urban sprawl and cheaper imports from Iran nearly erased Kashmir’s saffron heritage. But recent government protections, including the National Saffron Mission, combined with a new generation of young farmers, are bringing the spice back. In autumn, the fields turn a surreal purple as the saffron crocus blooms—each stigma harvested by hand before sunrise. It takes an estimated 75,000 blossoms to produce just one pound of dried saffron threads. The best strands fetch thousands of dollars per kilo and are finding their way into Michelin-starred kitchens from Dubai to New York. Yes, saffron remains one of the top luxury ingredients around the world.
The return of the imperial pantry
What ties these revivals together is more than romance. It’s economics and identity. As Asia’s luxury dining scene grows more adventurous, chefs are reaching for ingredients that come not from anonymous global supply chains but from specific histories and terroirs. For diners, knowing about your oyster bed or salt pan is part of the experience.
In a world where foie gras and caviar have lost some of their mystique, these rediscovered treasures remind us that true indulgence isn’t just about rarity. Luxury ingredients can be about roots.
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