The Exotica
Found in: Lucknow
Est. Cost: $1,437 / Pound*
Lucknow, in northern India, is home to beautifully constructed temples, delectable street food, and Exotica, India’s most expensive dessert. The dry mithai is made out of ingredients from all over the world, such as American blueberries, Australian and South African macadamia nuts, European hazelnuts, and a few others. The most crucial (and most expensive) of the sweet’s ingredients are the 100% edible gold leaf that encase the internationally sourced ingredients. The pricey confections have been wrapped in a specially constructed box “that increases the shelf life by 20-30 days.”
The Exotica
Bheem’ India’s Most Expensive Buffalo
Found in: Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Est. Cost: $3.12 Million*
Bheem, of the Murrah breed, is the Andre the Giant of Buffalos, weighing little more than 3,300 pounds and standing 6-feet from hoof to head and 14-feet long. This gigantic bull consumes roughly 25 liters of milk per day, as well as 2.2 pounds of clarified butter (ghee) and a mix of cashews and almonds. Arvind Jangid, the man who nurtured Bheem, demonstrated at a cattle fair that not everything has a price when he turned down a bid of 24 crores ($3.12 million) for his finest buffalo. Jangid and Bheem go to cow shows together to raise awareness about Bheem’s dwindling breed and encourage conservation efforts.
Bheem’ India’s Most Expensive Buffalo
