An Yashi, a professor at Sinchuan University in China, has produced tea which is fertilized with panda droppings. At $80,000 per kilogram, it'll be the most expensive tea in the world when it reaches the market. Yashi claims that it's worth the price because of special health benefits:
Link -via Born Rich | Photo: Flickr user Danforth1
"Pandas have a very poor digestive system and only absorb about 30 percent of everything they eat. That means their excrement is rich in fibres and nutrients," he told Chinese website Scol.com.cn.
"It has a mature, nutty taste and a very distinctive aroma while it's brewing."
He also believes there are serious health benefits to the drink.
"Just like green tea, bamboo contains an element that can prevent cancer, and enhance green tea's anti-cancer effects, if it is used as fertilizer for the tea," the professor said
Link -via Born Rich | Photo: Flickr user Danforth1
I didn't see any mention to whether any profits would go to his research or to conserving the pandas themselves. That, of course, may make people more likely to spend so much on tea (though I do not pretend to know the purchasing habits of the rich).