From the rainbow-hued pearl lobsters of Indonesia and the baby eels of Spain to the giant Copper River king salmon of Alaska and Nigeria's cod stockfish, dried thousands of miles away in the cold winds of Norway, we uncovered the stories behind six of the world's most expensive kinds of seafood.
White asparagus, often referred to as "white gold," can cost three times as much as green asparagus. It's colorless, has a much thicker stalk, and is harvested mainly throughout Central Europe for just three months of the year.
Hyperrealistic baby dolls can cost upwards of 15,000 euros. Babyclon, a doll producer, uses medical-grade silicone, alpaca hair, and nail resin, which contribute to the high price point.
- Maple trees can live up to 400 years and be tapped for syrup for decades without harming the tree
- It takes roughly 50 gallons of these drops to make one 1 gallon of 100% pure Grade A maple syrup.
- C$18 million worth of maple syrup wa
While standard hair scissors cost less than $10, high-end professional hair shears can cost over $2,000. One of the main reasons is the attention paid to the point where the two blades meet.
Millions of tons of sargassum wash up on beaches across North America every year. Exposure can lead to breathing problems, and it costs millions to clean it up.
- Western wellness influencers once dubbed coconuts as the new 'it' superfood.
- As coconut demand soared, producers tried to keep up.
With the demand for electric batteries sky-high, mining companies are moving to the salt flats of the Andes, where over half of the world's known lithium reserves are stored.
Mexico is rushing to complete a new train line around the Yucatan Peninsula that will link tourist resorts with cities and famous Maya sites. But large areas of tropical forest have been cut down, and activists say a unique network of sinkholes called cenotes are also at risk.