Health Benefits To Edible Gold And Silver Leaf And How To Use It

Have you ever seen a cake or champagne flute sparkling in gold or silver and wondered what gave it that appearance? Edible gold and silver leaf sometimes referred to as loose-leaf sheets, are typically used for decorative purposes in the kitchen and provide an extra layer of luxury to your desserts, cocktails, and more.

While both edible gold and silver leaf are safe to eat, there are no real health benefits to ingesting them.

Discover how edible gold and silver sheets are made, their best uses in the kitchen, and ways you can use edible gold and silver leaf sheets outside of cooking.

Here are tips on how to use edible gold and silver leaf:

Edible gold is made from 24-carat gold

Creating edible gold starts with real gold! Edible gold leaf sheets are made with real gold and a minor amount of naturally occurring silver.

The gold gets hammered down into a flat, square sheet as thin as rice paper. Edible gold also comes in flakes, crumbs, and dust — choosing the proper form depends on what you’re preparing.

Edible silver is made similarly. Non-ionic bioactive pieces of silver get pounded into paper-thin sheets, then placed between pages of booklets.

Various materials are used for the booklet pages, with parchment paper being one of the most common.

Using edible gold and silver leaf in your kitchen

When it comes to using edible gold and silver, the applications are limitless. That’s because the product has no flavor to it — it’s simply decorative!

Most often, you’ll see edible gold and silver sheets used in baking. Edible loose-leaf gold can be sprinkled on top of cakes, pies, or cookies to add elegance or help the sweets fit into a particular theme.

You can also use whole sheets of gold to layer entire cakes and cupcakes. Edible silver can be used in the same applications.

Edible gold and silver aren’t limited to baked goods, though. You can also use them on chocolates, ice cream, and fruit.

Plus, you can use edible gold and silver in savory dishes. Amplify the appearance of sushi, steak, burgers, caviar, and even pizza with flecks of gold or silver.

Gold and silver loose-leaf can be used outside of food too

Most people think of amplifying their dishes with gold and silver leaves, but cocktails are another great application.

Spice up a margarita by rimming the glass with salt or sugar and a sprinkling of gold or silver.

Both types of edible loose-leaf can also be used to rim champagne flutes or as a floater in signature cocktails at weddings and other events.

The uses don’t stop there, though. Edible gold can also be used to make facial masks. Gold leaf is known for its ability to pull toxins from the skin, leaving it feeling soft and glowing.

It can also be blended into essential oils and other medicinal concoctions. Yet another use for the gold and silver loose-leaf outside of the kitchen is restoring art and furniture.

Adding these sheets of thinly pressed metal can instantly revitalize damaged art or antique furniture and give it new life.

Using edible gold and silver leaf in your cooking can add elegance to whatever dish you’re serving. Since you can use it outside of the kitchen, too, you also have the opportunity to explore your creative side.

When you start using edible gold and silver leaf, you’ll be sure to impress whoever you choose to share those creations with!