Whenever one thinks of gold,  the markets of Abu Dhabi and the gold shops that are scattered here and there, in various jewellery types such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. that shine with their bright colours, will come to mind.

The first thing that comes to mind is Al Romaizan Gold & Jewellery shops with its trays filled with various creative designs of gold that capture the eyes, the breathtaking 21k bracelets, necklaces, and rings that suit everybody's taste.

Speaking of taste, what doesn't ring a bell is the idea of edible gold; wait for what? Gold in food? Yes, that is right, gold.

You will be amazed to know that the tradition of eating gold has been known for thousands of years. There is evidence that proves that ancient Egyptians, almost 5000 years ago, used to consume gold as a means of purification, strength, and winning favour with the Gods. They also developed medicines using drinkable gold, thinking it has restorative effects on their bodies. It is not weird, though, as gold necklaces, gold pendants, and charms were part of their everyday life alongside the divine image the gold had in the ancient Egyptian civilization, so why not have it as part of their cuisine as well?

Eating gold was not only known to the Egyptians, but it was popular with the ancient Chinese and eastern countries such as Japan and India. They were famous for using it to decorate foods in addition to its use in medicines.

In the Middle Ages, the Europeans competed in providing the finest types of food and decorating them with pure gold in the court of kings to indicate absolute luxury.

In the modern era, we must note the widespread use of gold in all kinds of foods, where high-end restaurants compete in providing the most luxurious dishes decorated with precision and care with pure gold leaves, and sometimes the fame of any restaurant is based on a gold-plated signature dish. As gold-coated food has become a trend, we can notice its vast spread on food menus, Instagram pages, and blogs.

Edible gold is an additive. The 24K gold leaf that covers food is tasteless, there is no nutritional value in it, as it is not absorbed by the human body, yet we see many people rush to taste it, and the reason behind that I suppose is curiosity, people look forward to trying new things also they enjoy sharing their new experiences over social media, which raises the question: Would you try edible gold? Or is it a no-no for you?