to the hard to find

to the potentially deadly to consume,

we're taking a look at 18

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Đông Tảo chickens, or dragon chickens,

look like a bird wearing a pair of Uggs.

But their oversized feet

are the telltale feature of this rare bird.

Đông Tảo chickens have a dark meat

with a color closer to red meat.

In Vietnam, where these birds are bred,

the birds are often eaten during the Vietnamese New Year

but need to pass high standards to be deemed worthy.

Buyers look for a tall chicken

that weighs around 5 kilograms

with thick red feet and shiny black feathers.

A typical American cow produces

about 28 liters of milk per day.

Compare that to the sole liter

a single donkey generates in 24 hours,

and donkey cheese already starts to feel pretty exclusive.

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than any other common variety

and lacks enough of a key protein that's found in cow's milk

to easily cultivate cheese,

meaning the process to turn donkey's milk

into cheese is kept under lock and key.

Super filling with a nutty, earthy flavor,

the cheese can sell for $500 for a single pound.

This giant ocean slug is a sea cucumber,

a bottom-feeder with a tubular shape

that has no limbs and no eyes

but a ton of monetary value.

It can be found all over the world

but is most prevalent in the Pacific Ocean.

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sea cucumbers are beloved for their thick, chewy bite

that's full of protein and antioxidants but low in fat.

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can set you back $3,500 for a single kilo,

which is a little bit more than 2 pounds.

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it's unlikely you've encountered this chicken,

charcoal black from gizzard to feathers to feet.

The Ayam Cemani, bred on the islands of Indonesia,

has a dominant gene that makes the chicken appear black

all the way down to its organs.

Just one of these chickens could cost around $200,

though due to fears of the spread of bird flu,

the chicken isn't often cleared for export,

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While it's common knowledge that caviar is pretty rare,

your bougiest caviar ain't got nothing on this.

"Almas" means "diamond" in Persian,

and while all caviar comes from wild sturgeon,

Almas caviar stands out from other fish eggs

with a golden color derived from an extremely rare

albino sturgeon that lives in the Caspian Sea.

It's said to have a spongier texture

with a less salty but nuttier flavor

than your average caviar.

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice,

with a single pound setting you back $1,500 or more.

Bringing it back to high-school Earth science,

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or the part of a flower where pollen germinates.

Since each flower grows only three stigmas,

it takes 17,000 flowers grown in a quarter acre of land

to make a single pound.

Matsutake mushrooms are known

as the king of mushrooms in Japan.

In wild forests, these mushrooms are rare

because they need really specific conditions to grow.

And even then, the blossomy mushrooms

are susceptible to becoming snacks for wildlife.

Many say they're worth the hunt

for their spicy, pungent aroma

and woodsy, earthy flavor.

When you think of a bird's nest,

you likely picture a mound of twigs and leaves.

But swiftlets make their nests entirely

out of their own sticky saliva,

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In the wild, the birds build their nests

on dangerously high cave ledges,

making harvesting nearly, but not quite, impossible.

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Fugu, a type of puffer fish,

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that when not properly removed

are more lethal than cyanide if consumed,

giving the fish a reputation

as the most dangerous food on Earth.

It's because of this toxicity

that preparation of the fish

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where fugu is considered a delicacy.

Chefs train for years before taking an extensive exam

just to earn certification to serve fugu.

When sliced into sashimi, fugu has a mild,

fresh taste with a chewy texture.

This melon might look like your average cantaloupe,

but it is so much more.

In fact, one Yubari King melon

sold for $14,500 in 2018.

And although the melons are grown

in temperature-controlled greenhouses

for cultivation all year round,

they're still pretty rare.

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through the entire growing process,

where each melon tree is pruned of its crop

down to a single fruit,

which they even massage by hand to ensure perfection.

If you're looking to taste one yourself,

make some friends in high places,

since Yubari King melons are typically purchased as gifts.

Bred exclusively in the Iberian Peninsula

of Spain and Portugal,

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feeding off grains and acorns,

lives the black Iberian pig.

The most coveted part of the animal is the legs,

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and cured in stages over years

before they're finally ready for sale.

The finished legs are sliced wafer thin,

making for a uniquely fatty, succulent bite

of sweet, salty ham with a bit of a nutty flavor.

Truffles in general are pretty rare,

but white truffles take it to the next level.

Prone to growing near the roots

of hazelnut and oak trees in Italian mountains,

truffles are wild fungus that require

specially trained dogs or hogs to sniff out.

A white Alba truffle lacks an outer shell,

giving it a golden color with a knobby shape

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We all know the excitement of thick, sugary syrup

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So it may be a shock to hear

that the sugary goodness is often more likely

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40% of the US's real, pure maple syrup

is tapped from the trees of Vermont.

And while you may be thinking,

"A forest full of trees, all this syrup,

there's no way it's so rare,"

it takes 44 gallons of sap

to make a single gallon of real maple syrup.

Grade A syrup is the most delicious

and expensive to produce,

with its lighter golden color

and accompanying delicate taste.

Mānuka is a flower native to New Zealand

that blooms for only 12 days.

After the bees do what bees do,

mānuka honey is available for harvest

for a super-short two- to six-week period,

which is why honey from this particular flower

represents only about 1% of the honey in the world.

From kosher to sea to table,

salt is one of the most prevalent seasonings

around the world.

But not all salt is created equal.

Pure Icelandic salt can set you back

about $30 per pound,

which is 30 times the price of common table salt.

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most remote regions of Iceland,

where it's meticulously harvested

and processed by hand,

making it a favorite

among some of the world's best restaurants.

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Parmesan cheese is a regulated food

that can only be made in the small region

for which the food is named.

Parmesan hails from a part of northern Italy

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you guessed it, Parma.

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certified to make this cheese in the region,

Parmesan can cost more than double the price

of more common cheeses like cheddar.

With rows and rows of vanilla extract

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vanilla might not seem like a rarity,

but you're less likely to come across