10 Most Expensive Foods in Japan
The price of Swiss moose milk cheese is $500 per pound; young potatoes of the La Bonnotte variety, which are grown in the west of France, cost $ 1,543 per 500 grams; Almas beluga caviar is sold in Iran for $25,000 per jar of 24 carat gold. Luxurious and insanely expensive food is in every country, and the first place in the world in terms of their quantity is occupied by the Land of the Rising Sun - Japan.
The capital of Japan, Tokyo, has a fairly high cost of living; it also sells some of the most expensive and unique food on the planet - something that can hardly be found in our local stores and supermarkets. It is a long-standing custom in Japan to give business associates and superiors gifts of food, in particular high-quality fruits, which are sold in expensive and exclusive stores for wealthy customers as a token of appreciation. From the world-famous marbled wagyu beef to square watermelon, Japan has something to offer for both sophisticated gourmets and connoisseurs of luxury food.
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1. Milk - $43
Milk from the Japanese company Nakazawa Foods sells for $43 a liter in stores - a price that is almost thirty times the price of regular milk.
Milk from Nakazawa Foods is recommended for adults who are prone to stressful situations, as it has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the functioning of the human brain. The anti-stress milk is harvested from cows once a week at dawn, a time when the animals have high levels of melatonin, a hormone that is thought to reduce anxiety and anxiety, as well as alleviate symptoms of depression in humans.
2. Pizza with marbled beef - $66
Available at international fast food chain Domino's Pizza, the $66 pizza topping consists of potatoes, onions, signature steak sauce and, of course, high-quality marbled beef sourced from Kobe, on the Japanese island of Honshu.
3. Puffer - $100
Incorrectly cooked fish from the pufferfish family can be the last supper of your life. Despite this, fugu has become one of the most popular Japanese dishes. Fugu chefs go through a rigorous training program, after which they receive certificates confirming their qualifications. As a rule, fugu is prepared in such a way that a small amount of poison remains in the fish, which, when consumed, forms a slight numbness and tingling effect in the mouth. The minimum price for puffer per serving is $100.
4. Square watermelon - $800 each
A square watermelon is both tasty and practical, especially for the Japanese, who have little space everywhere, even in today's huge refrigerators. In order for watermelons to take on an unusual shape for them, they are grown in cubic containers made of plastic or glass. In Japan, square watermelons are sold in specialty fruit shops for $200 each. Abroad, their cost can reach $800.
5. Matsutake mushrooms - $2,000 per kilo
In the 1980s and 1990s, matsutake mushrooms were one of the most popular foods in Japan. Today they are grown in few places due to environmental pollution, and they are very expensive. Less than 1,000 tons of matsutake are harvested annually in Japan. The price of mushrooms depends on their quality, available quantity and origin. At the beginning of the season, the cost of matsutake mushrooms, depending on supply and demand, can reach $ 2,000 per kilogram.
6. Wagyu Beef - $500 to $2,800
The word "wagyu" literally translates as "Japanese cow" and is used to refer to a variety of marbled beef. The Japanese, depending on the location of the farms, use various methods of feeding and breeding cattle, among them massage, drinking beer or sake, and others can be called unusual. The goal is to get meat that has an incredible aroma and taste. The best wagyu beef is produced in the city of Kobe (Honshu Island, Japan). Its average cost is $500, but it can reach $2,800 per kilogram.
7 Ruby Roman Grapes - $4,000 Per Bunch
Roman ruby is a table grape variety, bred in 2008 and grown only in Ishikawa Prefecture. Roman ruby grapes are always strictly checked for quality. Each grape must be red in color, the size of a table tennis ball, weigh at least 20 grams, and have a sugar content of 18-22%. There is also a "premium" Roman ruby grape. In this case, the grapes should weigh 30 grams each, and the whole bunch - at least 700 grams. In 2010, out of the entire harvest, only six clusters were rated "premium grapes", in 2011 - none. In July 2013, a single bunch of "premium" Roman ruby grapes was sold for $4,000.
8. Densuke black watermelon - $6,100 each
Grown on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, these rare black watermelons are known for their juicy, velvety flesh and incredibly sweet taste. No more than 10 thousand pieces are grown annually. In 2008, an eight-kilogram black densuke watermelon was sold for US$6,100.
9. Yubari royal melons - $26,000 for two
The smooth-skinned, orange-fleshed king melon yubari is a hybrid of two cantaloupes valued for its extraordinary juiciness and sweetness, as well as its perfect size and proportions. Yubari royal melons are most often sold in pairs. They cost in Japanese stores from 50 to 100 dollars each. At auctions, the price for them can rise to $26,000 per pair.
10. Toro - price not available
Toro is the fat belly of the bluefin tuna, which is often used to make sushi. The most valuable and high-quality toro is otoro - a piece of fillet taken from the bottom of the fish closer to the head. The cost of toro is constantly changing depending on market prices.