Why This Gold Bougie Food Trend Still Doesn't Make Sense

Food trends are always coming and going, and one of the most divisive food trends out there is gold leaf coating. Usually found in glitzy establishments where the camera eats first or sandwiched inside the most expensive burger in the world, this trend truly treads the line between over-the-top and aesthetic. In many cases, you'll be paying a premium for a product that adds very little value to the dish, and doesn't even have much itself! To learn more, Food Republic spoke with chef Jonathan Eizenshtein of Eizeneats.

You'll find gold leaf coating all sorts of foods. While it can make for an unconventional ice cream topping, it has taste or texture. As Eizenshtein explained, "Edible gold is real, food-safe gold used just for looks, not taste. It became popular because gold signals luxury, and helped push it further, flashy gold-covered dishes grab attention and go viral." Few restaurants captured the social-media-first dining experience quite like Nusr-Et, the chain owned by chef-turned-meme "Salt Bae." At these flashy establishments, diners can order a wide range of gold-leaf-adorned dishes, including the infamous gold-wrapped tomahawk steak — that is, if you are willing to drop . But despite the spectacle, critics consistently the food, proving that no amount of gold leaf can compensate for mediocre cooking.

At the end of the day, whether gold leaf has a place on your plate depends on what you want out of a meal. "For most chefs, that money and effort is better spent on better ingredients," chef Jonathan Eizenshtein told us. But while some gold leaf is expensive, it can also be surprisingly . So watch out: When you're paying premium prices, you're most likely paying for heavy markups rather than the value of the material itself.

Since gold leaf took off in the social media age of the , it's garnered plenty of vocal . And while it has definitely declined in popularity – apparently, regular person food is the next big trend – it hasn't disappeared. According to Eizenshtein, "It sticks around because it feels special and attention-grabbing, and that still sells even when people know it's mostly for show." In a satirical at the trend, meanwhile, New York-based 666 Burger Truck sold the "$666 D**che Burger" in 2012, a Kobe beef burger wrapped in gold leaf and stacked with other luxury-status add-ons. Even though it was intended to be a joke, it still sold (albeit only one).

When gold leaf is the main selling point of a dish, that's a red flag. But in certain cases, it can enhance a dish when used with vision. It was famously used by the legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, for example, who was known as the " of modern Italian cuisine." In his groundbreaking take on , the delicate gold leaf wasn't used for spectacle, but instead used to enhance the saffron's golden hue, reinforcing the dish's simple elegance without taking away from its complex flavor or aromas.