Edit: Here’s a blog post about Japan’s wagyu beef industry. Again, I just posted this article and some added notes below.
Japan’s long reputation as a land of low food costs has led it to be one of the world’s leading beef producers.
Japan’s long reputation as a land of low food costs has led it to be one of the world’s leading beef producers. The Japanese have been breeding cows with high-quality meat for centuries, and their techniques have been refined. They also use many methods unique to Japan: for example, they bear only female cattle because male cattle tend to produce more milk than females do and thus would dilute the quality of their meat.
I’ve always wondered why Japan has such a bad reputation for food costs… Is it because the Japanese are so refined and therefore don’t put as much effort into cooking? I could go with that…but maybe it’s because of the climate? It’s cold there! I know! They must never cook in their own homes! *Laughs*
I don’t know what this blog will be about, but it will incorporate some beef. We’ll see several beef posts this month, starting with today’s topic: Kobe beef. Kobe is one of those things that screams “Japan” to me. The name “Kobe” is an anglicized version of “Tokyo.” The city is known for its expensive steaks (though they are served at many restaurants in Tokyo). What usually grabs my attention about Kobe restaurant advertisements is the price tag.
As you can see from today’s post, most include a printed price tag on the menu when you order your steak. The prices range anywhere from 10,000 yen (about $100 or 75 euros) – 60,000 yen (or $600 or 450 euros) per dish. That may seem like a lot by western standards but not by Japanese means, where the average household income is around 3 million yen (around USD 30,000). So if you’re going to order an all-you-can-eat meal at one of these places and want to enjoy some fine food while paying less than ten grand, you’re out of luck… unless you’re willing to pay real money for your overpriced meat… but then again how fun would that be?! If you think about it though there must already be quite a bit of competition in this market since many restaurants have dropped prices over time to attract more customers – isn’t
