I was wondering what happens when you eat finely ground gold, which is sometimes put on desserts, a la Wolfgang Puck style. I’m guessing it’s just going to pass through, but even if absorbed, I don’t think it’ll be that harmful since it’s small quantities. Anyone ever have this? I’m guessing it’s more for decoration than for taste. I wouldn’t think they’d be sprinkling piles of this stuff on every cake or pastry they see.
Sometimes I also see Centrum vitamins with gold or silver – not sure if that’s totally promotional or not, supposedly for older people. Also I’ve seen gold flakes in apple juice, which I’m not really sure is gold, but is claimed as such. Even heard of gold flakes in Japanese sake as well. Any input on this?
Before anyone jumps on me, let me add that I’m not so sure that Centrum actually makes a “gold version”, but I have seen silver. My mom actually gets it for my grandmother when she visits.
I knew that sounded familiar… Thanks . Finely ground gold should be no problem, as finely ground glass is no problem (Cecil wrote on this?)
I was wondering more though if anyone knew the history of people adding pure gold to food. Aside from apple juice and sake, I’ve heard pure gold was sometimes used for medicine and even as a traditional method of poison in Chinese culture.
Gold- and silver-leaf is popular for use in Indian desserts. These, I believe, would qualify as eating pure gold or silver, though the quantities are minuscule. I’ve also eaten silver-covered almonds – no idea on how thick the coating is, though. I understand that silver is a natural antibacterial, so it might even be good for you, albeit on the expensive side (IANAD, so that’s just pure speculation).
Nope, that’s real gold, at least it’s always appeared to be real gold when I’ve had Goldschlager. Their description of it is Cinnammon Schnapps with 24K gold leaf flakes. Gold leaf can be very cheap since gold is able to be formed into extremely thin sheets without completely falling apart. I wouldn’t think there’s more than a couple of cents worth of gold in the whole bottle.
I believe the “silver” in the brand name “Centrum Silver” is supposed to indicate that it’s meant for seniors. Better to make a poetic allusion (well, as poetic as marketing ever gets) to silver hair than be overly blunt and call it “Centrum for Old People”.
When I was a kid, my mother used to decorate cakes with little pearl-sized sugar balls that were covered in real gold and silver (electrolysis?).
I also got particularly drunk on some fine gold-leaf sake when in Japan. And eaten some teeth-hurtingly sweet desserts in India that were wrapped in gold and silver leaf.
You’ve gotta be joking!!! Put gold in my teeth? Are you crazy?
They can have my good ol’ safe, tried-and-tested mercury amalgam fillings when they pry them out of my cold, dead jaw.
I’ve had gold-wrapped dates (date wrapped in gold leaf - crumbles as soon as you touch it) and it doesn’t taste of anything. Sort of cool though, getting a flake of gold stuck in your teeth rather than spinach…
There’s a (probably spurious) health product called “colloidal silver.” I got conned into buying some when I when on an echinacea-and-supplement-spree last time I had a cold. You know, when you’re feeling so terrible you’ll try anything they recommend. Anyway I tried the silver a couple of times, felt a bit suspcious, tried the internet, and found…
. Finely ground gold should be no problem, as finely ground glass is no problem (Cecil wrote on this?)