You are correct, IMO
By the way, does anybody know if edible gold has a taste? Because it seems to me that if it did, it would aste “metallic”, not a good taste, IMO.
On the other hand, gold is very non-reactive, so maybe there are no gold ions to tickle the taste buds at all.
Does anyone know?
I do a lot of gilding on my artwork with 23K gold leaf: same stuff fancy chefs use and same stuff suspended in Goldschläger. I've eaten quite a few scraps of it over the years. It is entirely flavorless. You wouldn't know it was in your mouth unless you looked in a mirror.
While it's not exactly cheap, it's not as expensive as one might think either (it's hammered very, very thin) and about the only reason I can think of adding it to a dish is to make it look like something the consumer thinks they really ought to be paying a whole lot for.
There are edible gold flakes in Goldschlager liqueur. The liqueur itself is cinnamon flavored - you don't taste the gold.
Ever hear of Goldschlager? Clear alcohol with gold in it. Yummy.