When you imagine a fine dining experience, what images come to mind? Spotless white tablecloths and bottles of expensive vintage wine? Intimate candlelight and well-plated food? Exceptional attention to detail and top-notch service?
While all of these elements comprise the fine dining experience, one of the hallmarks is the use of high-quality or hard-to-find ingredients. If you want to bring that fine-dining experience home, you just need the right tools. One ingredient that both looks gorgeous and adds some taste (as in class) to your food is edible gold leaf.
How can you use this glittering ingredient in your cooking? Here’s what you need to know.
First, Quality Is Everything
When it comes to the culinary arts, the quality of your ingredients is everything. However, it’s especially important when using edible gold or edible silver leaf.
Why is this? Well, the quality of the metal will determine whether you’re getting an alloy or pure gold. Pure gold is safe for human consumption. Copper, a common ingredient used in alloys for gold leaf, is not. True edible gold leaf is expensive because of its high purity, so don’t cheap out.
The last thing you want is a trip to the emergency room due to accidentally poisoning yourself.
Edible Gold Leaf Requires a Delicate Hand
Another thing to keep in mind when you use gold leaf in your cooking is that it requires a delicate hand. You need to wear gloves so the oils from your hands don’t damage the gold or make it stick to you. Many people use paintbrushes or makeup brushes to help apply the gold leaf to the food.
If you want the gold leaf to adhere to the surface of your food or glass, you need to coat it with water or some sort of syrup first. In general, the goal is to avoid touching and manipulating the gold as much as you can. Every touch runs the risk of making it crumble into unusable flecks and pieces.
How to Use Edible Gold Leaf in Your Kitchen
So, how can you use gold leaf to make your delicious food look rich and high-class? Some common uses for this glimmering substance include, but are not limited to:
- As a garnish for candies and cakes
- Mixed in with a high-class wine or champagne
- As decoration for a wine glass, bowl, or plate
- As a coating for fruit
Regardless of how you decide to use the gold leaf, it’s sure to elevate your cooking inspirations and bring a touch of class to your home dining.
Looking for More Glimmering Cooking Inspirations?
Edible gold leaf is a gorgeous way to add a touch of class, delicacy, and richness to your home cooking. However, it’s not the only way that you can elevate your meals at home.
Are you interested in learning more about how to bring the fine dining experience to your kitchen? If so, then check out the Food & Culinary section of our blog. We update each day with more helpful articles about making delicious food like this one.
Hi, I'm CJ. A Southerner in New York with a passion for good food, an amazing lifestyle, and a clean kitchen.
