April 5th, 2015
Burgers (other than beef) are, for the most part, simple affairs. They are burgers. With cheeseburger variations and toppings, mostly. It’s a rare burger that needs more than beef, tomato, and onion to be considered a gastronomic experience.
However, in Japan, there has been an outpouring of burger innovation lately, perhaps even a revolution or awakening. More than a few sites have reviewed such creations as Mcdonald’s “pineapple” burgers or Nissin’s “patty-cake” (pictured above). However, these are mere examples of the style—the product isn’t top-rated in Japan yet—, yet there is another kind of Japanese burger other than a plain hamburger made without meat: Vegetarian chicken breasts with sesame seeds added to taste; an example mentioned explicitly on one site is Katsudon Burger from McDonald’s, which is essentially a vegetarian fried chicken burger. And then there’s “chicken cutlet,” which I haven’t heard much about, but some people would call a chicken pattie and is somewhat similar to chickpea fritters mixed with flour and egg and deep fried. This one also sounds like it could be tasty. The prevalence of these vegan or vegetarian burgers can be seen as aggravating by those who prefer real meat! But then again, maybe they’re just trying to innovate so that we old-school carnivores can have something new to try on our next trip abroad. So what do you think? Are these new kinds of burgers just trying too hard? Or do you admire them for their invention? If you want to see how good they taste, check out my post about some places that offer them here.
Takeaway: Now and again, I get requests for information about international
Crowd cow
Crowd cow is a community-based marketplace that connects farmers and consumers. It’s an open platform that allows farmers to sell their products directly to the public without any middlemen or third-party agencies.
Crowd cow has been around since 2013, but it wasn’t until 2016 that it started expanding beyond Japan into other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Europe (France). This year alone, there were over 50 new countries added to the platform!
Wagyu Beef
Wagyu is a breed of cattle which are raised in Japan. They’re the highest quality beef and the most expensive. Wagyu beef is also tender and delicious, but you can only buy it at your local grocery store. If you want to try it, we recommend cooking it yourself!
Japanese Wagyu
Wagyu is a breed of cattle from Japan. It is renowned for its high quality, marbling, and tenderness. The beef has a relatively large fat content (up to 20%), which gives it a distinctively rich taste.
Japan Wagyu
Japan Wagyu is a type of beef raised in Japan and exported to the US. It’s also called Kobe Beef or “Wagyu,” produced only by cattle bred at high altitudes with different genetics than other cattle (like Angus).
The meat from these animals has a distinct flavor profile that can be described as “savory” or “umami”—a Japanese word meaning “deliciousness.” The taste comes from their diet: they eat grasses and rice to gain weight before slaughtering them for processing into steaks, roasts, or ground meat.
Japan Wagyu Beef
The Japanese Wagyu Beef is a breed of Japanese cattle developed to achieve high-quality beef. It is considered the official national breed of Japan and has been bred precisely for its flavor and tenderness.
Wagyu is one of the most expensive types of meat on earth, but it’s also one that you can find all over Japan (and even at some grocery stores). There are over 100 breeds within Wagyu—each with unique characteristics depending on where they’re from!
Crowd cow has access to various tasty cuts and cuts you can’t get from many other sources.
Crowd cow has access to various tasty cuts and cuts you can’t get from many other sources.
Their Wagyu is incredibly high-quality, having been raised in the Kagoshima prefecture on the southern end of Japan’s main island. It’s also USDA-certified organic, so you know it’s good for your health!
The crowdsourced, community-driven crowdgrowshop is on Crowdcow – with a focus on quality grass-fed beef from all over the world, crowd cow offers direct access to farmers and ranchers around the globe. The site allows you to support local producers while they are still in the early stages of their farming careers, gaining customers and new customers that grow over time. Crowd cow also features a network of farmers with varying skill sets who help each other learn and grow through networking. They also develop communities where the farmer can help others find food and income.
