Historically, all the expensive and most sought-after food ingredients have been those with purported health benefits - consider bird's nest soup or sea cucumber.

BBC: Viewpoint: Asia's evolving taste for wine

Its greatest exponent is Yasuki Hiramatsu, born into a family of metalsmiths, who, through an annealing process, can twist a single length of gold or silver into a ring or necklace enchantingly resembling a minimalist bird's-nest.

ECONOMIST: Contemporary jewellery