8 Modern Delicacies Once Associated With Poverty (3 of 5)

4. Oysters

In the mid-1800s, oysters were ubiquitous on street corners throughout New York City and London. The urban poor, who would frequent “all you can eat” oyster cellars where they could indulge for pennies, loved oysters. There were so many discarded shells that the cities would use them as street pavement. Unfortunately, industrial pollution and overharvesting brought an end to the days of oyster abundance. Today eating oysters on the half shell is a pricey indulgence reserved for those with money to burn. 

5. Bluefin Tuna

If eating lobster was synonymous with punishment, bluefin tuna was up until the 1970s regarded as pretty much unsuitable for human consumption unless you had no other recourse. In a time where lean cuts of meat were highly desirable, the high fat content of this fish worked against it. It also rotted quickly. Its most common uses were as fertilizer and cat food. But with the proliferation of international air travel coupled with flash freezing methods and a trend towards fattier meats (such as prime rib), bluefin tuna became all the rage. In an incredible turn of events, these days one of these fish can fetch more than a million dollars at auction!