Expensive meat. Japanese bulls Wagyu (Wagyu) - the most expensive marbled meat in the world

Meat is the favorite food of most people. Of course, we eat both plant foods and dairy products, but many perceive such food only as an addition to the main menu. Meat food is tasty and nutritious. The most common meat is pork, and the most expensive is beef. And if it is also marbled beef, then it can cost up to $ 1,000. Why is this meat special, and why is marbled beef the most expensive meat in the world?

This is a special type of meat, with a lot of thin fatty layers in the muscle tissue, which not only give the meat an unusually tender and juicy taste, but also the color - pink meat, riddled with white stains and really looks very much like marble.

In the process of cooking, the fat layers melt and fill the meat with juice - due to this, it acquires a unique softness and tenderness inherent only in it.

The more such layers in the meat, the higher its "marbling", and therefore the price. The degree of marbling also depends on which category the marbled beef falls into. The highest category is "Prime", followed by selective meat "Choise", and then the usual marbled meat - "Select".

The technology for obtaining such meat is rather complicated, lengthy and expensive, so it is not produced on an industrial scale.

This most expensive meat on the planet is obtained from a special breed of Wagyu cows, which for many centuries were grown only in Japan and were not exported to other countries of the world. And although in modern times these valuable animals are bred in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and even in Russia, the prices for marbled meat have not become lower.

Marbled meat owes its exceptional taste to a special technology for growing bulls. The lives of these thoroughbreds can be envied! Just imagine: up to 4-6 months old calves are soldered with milk, then slightly matured calves graze in ecologically clean meadows, and they live a free life for themselves, without human intervention. Then the bulls are placed in individual apartments with soundproof walls, where they are hung on the reins. This seemingly strange procedure is done so that the cattle cannot move, but also does not lie, which is very important! Indeed, for an even distribution of layers of fat in muscle tissues, the muscles of the bulls must be in tension.

Throughout this period, the animals are not only fed with selected grain, but also drunk with high-quality beer - to improve their appetite. The "marbling" of future meat is the greater, the longer the goby feeds on grain. On average, the grain feeding standard is 200-300 days.

But that's not all! In order for the fat from such a good life not to be deposited anywhere, but to go into the meat and form thin marble veins, the bull is given a vibromassage, reminiscent of beating, and to improve digestion, horned beauties include Japanese classical music. Is it any wonder that in the end the meat of such a bull turns out to be tender, juicy, melting in your mouth like butter. It is not for nothing that in Japan they say about marbled beef that it is "meat that does not need teeth."

By the way, in Russia, Nikita Khrushchev was the first to appreciate the taste of marbled beef. He had a chance to try marbled beef steak during a business visit to the United States. Khrushchev liked this unusual tasty tender dish so much that upon returning to Russia, the Secretary General asked his personal chef to cook beef for him using the same technology. However, in terms of taste, the resulting dish could not repeat the American steak. It was then that it turned out that marbled beef has its own secret, which is not at all in the recipe for its preparation, but in a special kind of meat, which allows this dish to convey all the best taste sensations.

After that, by decree of Khrushchev, a specialized livestock farm was equipped, to which bulls of a special breed were supplied from Europe, which later served as the main sources of marbled meat for the Soviet leader. For a long time in Russia, marbled beef was a delicacy for the elite. And only in the last decade it has become possible to taste this amazing meat in the restaurants of the largest Russian cities.

There are a lot of delicacies on our planet, the existence of which many, perhaps, have never even heard of. And they are outrageously expensive. Such products are not always affordable even for a rich person. Unless, of course, he is a millionaire or some celebrity with a fabulous income.

However, there is a demand for everything, and some people are willing to pay, say, 500 euros for a pound of potatoes. Yes, the hair on the head stands on end from the announced amount. How, why, why? What's wrong with our potatoes? All these questions have answers. So, I present to your attention the ten most expensive dishes in the world.

white truffle

Saffron

Saffron

And here is the most expensive spice in the world - saffron, which is considered to be the birthplace of India. To obtain the spice, the stamens of purple crocus flowers are used, each of which has only three of them. Therefore, a lot of effort and time is spent on obtaining saffron. Saffron is called the king. The spice has a strong aroma, bitter-spicy taste and amazing medicinal properties. In finished form, it is a fragile dried threads of dark red, brown and light yellow. Moreover, the highest quality is considered to be the one where there is less admixture of light yellow stamens. A very important point to consider when using saffron is its correct dosage. The fact is that in large quantities it is poisonous to humans. So, taken at a time, 0.5 grams of saffron have an unpleasant narcotic effect on the body and can lead to poisoning. As for cooking, in some countries this spice is even put into tea and coffee. They tint it with butter, cheeses (saffron gives the dish a pleasant golden hue), flavor liqueurs and soft drinks, add to pilaf and oriental pastries. And there are special dishes that simply cannot be imagined without this spice - Marseille bouillabaisse soup, Valencian paella and Milanese risotto. For 1 kg of saffron, you will have to pay about 6 thousand dollars.

Iranian caviar

Iranian caviar "Almas"

The most expensive caviar in the world comes from Iran. This is Almas. By the way, caviar has always been considered a symbol of well-being and has never been distinguished by low prices. Be it black, white or red. But it was Almas that was awarded the palm. It has an incomparable nutty flavor and a pleasant shade that varies from light gray to almost white, with a dark golden sheen. Her albino beluga is tossing, and not younger than 80 years old! And the older this fish becomes, the more tender, tastier and lighter its caviar is. And that means more expensive. Add to everything that "Almas" is packaged in jars of pure gold! It becomes clear why the price for 100 g of such caviar is about 2 thousand dollars.

Potato

Potato "La Bonnotte"

The presence of light on the list of the most expensive products is a bit surprising. It would seem, what could be more affordable? After all, we can easily grow this vegetable even in our own garden, spending only on the purchase of a simple "seedling". However, there is a kind of potato that is not “too tough” for everyone. This is a delicacy "La Bonnotte". Its difference is the place of growth, the French island of Nurmoitier in the Atlantic Ocean. As well as the cultivation process: potato fields are fertilized only with seaweed according to a technology that has been passed down from generation to generation. And, of course, the laborious process of planting and harvesting, carried out exclusively by hand. Tubers "La Bonnotte" have a surprisingly delicate taste with a salty sea flavor and rather big cost - about 500 euro kg.

Dry-cured pork ham

Jamon Iberico

In order to taste the best and most expensive pork ham - Iberico jamon, you should go to Spain. More precisely, to its southwestern part, to the Extremadura region. It is there that black pigs of the Iberian breed graze, which are fed exclusively on acorns and for which huge pastures have been set aside. Ham gives any dish with a rich and unique nutty flavor, it is used in cooking, main dishes, and even. One of the desserts can be tasted in Spain: creamy ice cream is served with a spoonful of flower honey and Iberico jamon chips. Prices for a kilo of dry-cured jamon fluctuate around 365 euros.

Argan oil

Argan oil

Argan oil is the most expensive, rare and valuable in the world. It is obtained by cold pressing the fruits of the argan tree (reminiscent of olives), which grows in the semi-deserts of Morocco. Argan oil is widely used not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetics. It has a golden yellow color, has beneficial properties, a high content of beauty and youth vitamin E (74%), an unobtrusive smell with hints of nuts and spices, and tastes a bit like pumpkin seed, but with a more piquant aftertaste. With the help of argan oil, you can give a pleasant aroma to hot dishes, a rich and rich taste to salads, and also use it for frying (it has a high combustion temperature). It takes 30 kg of fruits to produce 1 liter of oil, which is why it is so expensive: 100 ml will cost 250 euros.

We have collected the most expensive products in the world and found out why their prices are so sky-high. Everything was not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

(Total 10 photos)

1. Royal melon

$12,000 each

In Japan, it is customary to give each other delicacies, so this country has the most elite products: they can be presented to superiors, business partners and loved ones as a sign of respect and appreciation.

One of the most expensive dishes is royal melon yubari - a hybrid of two varieties of nutmeg melons (Earl's Favorite and Burpee). This variety is grown in the city of the same name on the island of Hokkaido in very small batches. Melons can fetch up to $24,600 for a pair - that's the price two yubari sold at Sapporo's auction last spring (paired gifts are accepted in Japan). During the harvest, the fruits are sold much cheaper, but it is almost impossible to get them at retail - resellers buy everything in bulk in a matter of minutes.

Why is the fruit valued as a used foreign car? The Japanese are convinced that this is an extraordinary melon: it has a unique aroma and taste, perfectly round shape, delicate orange flesh and elegant appearance. It is believed that its peel resembles ancient porcelain vases with its pattern, so the skin, like the pulp, is displayed to the guest. The presence of a couple of such "balls" on the table speaks eloquently of the wealth of the owner.

2. Black watermelon

Up to $6,000 each

Another elite delicacy from Japan is black densuke watermelon. In fact, it has a dark green color and is completely devoid of stripes. Like yubari melon, densuke grows only on the island of Hokkaido and is a rarity. The record price for it at auction is $ 6,000 - however, it was in 2008. In 2013, the most expensive watermelon was sold at a fair in Japan for $3,500. In the summer of 2014, black densuke was sold in one of the supermarkets in Toronto for much less - $ 200. Given that a watermelon is 90% water, this figure is amazing anyway.

3. Ruby grapes

Up to $5400 per bunch

The top most expensive products in Japan, in addition to those mentioned, also include ruby ​​roman grapes. It is distinguished by its unusual ruby ​​color, sweetness and especially large berries - each has a diameter of about 3 cm and weighs 20 g. The variety was bred in 2007 in Ishikawa Prefecture - it was the result of 14 years of work by Japanese winegrowers. In the summer of 2014, one bunch of 30 berries was sold at auction for $5,400. It was reported that the owner of the wedding palace bought the lot for the wedding of a certain young couple.

4. Diamond caviar

10,000 euros per kilogram

Few people saw and even more so tried the caviar of the albino beluga. The older the fish, the lighter its eggs - and the more they are valued at the sale. The cost of a jar of such caviar called Almas is about 100 euros per 10 g. At the same time, sellers warn that they will have to get on a waiting list and wait for delivery for several months, which indicates an increased demand for the product. The high cost of the delicacy is due to the fact that the beluga itself is a rarity: it is included in the Red Book and its production is limited. It takes up to 27 years for a female to reach puberty. Finding an albino beluga, and even with caviar, is like finding a needle in a haystack.

5. Marble beef

Up to $800 per kilo

Among all types of meat on the international market, kobe beef is most valued - it is tender and fatty marbled meat of wagyu cows, grown again in Japan, in Hyogo Prefecture. Initially, this delicacy was produced in the city of Kobe - hence the name. The price in the Japanese market can be 250-400 dollars per 1 kg, but in other countries a Japanese steak will cost twice as much, not to mention the dishes prepared from it. This is explained by skillful marketing, as well as the amazing conditions of the cows: they are fed with selected grass and grain, they are given premium beer, they are massaged - from stress and for the correct distribution of fat.

6. White truffle

Up to $32,000 per kilogram

The most expensive mushroom in the world is the white truffle: it grows only in certain regions of France, Italy and Croatia, it is difficult to find and almost impossible to save. The National Center for the Study of Truffles in Italy gives average prices: in 2012 - 500 euros per 1 kg, in 2013 - 350 euros, and in 2014 - only 220 euros due to the high yield. But if a particularly large mushroom comes across, it can be auctioned off for a fabulous sum. For example, in December 2014, the largest white truffle weighing 1.89 kg was sold at an auction in New York for $61,000. In autumn, special truffle tours are held for gambling tourists - experienced hunters with dogs help them look for mushroom places.

Up to 600,000 rubles. per kilogram

Saffron is often called the "royal seasoning" - the price corresponds to this status. In online stores, the cost of 1 g of spice varies depending on the country of production: Iranian costs 230 rubles, Spanish - 525 rubles, and Indian - 660 rubles. The high cost is explained by the complexity of the extraction of this spice: it is obtained from the stigmas of the flowers of the crocus seed, and there are only three of them in each flower. Harvesting saffron is a very time-consuming process, and only a little bit is required in a dish: 1 g is enough for several pilaf boilers. Saffron gives the dish a yellow color, and is also an aphrodisiac and antiseptic, soothes, improves metabolism and smoothes the skin of the face. According to legend, in the Middle Ages, one pound (450 g) of saffron was given to an Arabian horse. Since then, this spice has remained the most expensive spice in the world.

8. Bluefin tuna

Up to 8100 dollars per kilogram

One of the largest and fastest fish on the planet, bluefin tuna is also the most expensive. The absolute record for the price was set in December 2012: bluefin tuna weighing 222 kg was sold at an auction in Tokyo for $1.8 million ($8,108 per 1 kg). However, earlier this year, the same customer, Japanese restaurateur Kiyoshi Kimura, was surprised to buy a slightly smaller 180kg fish for $37,500 ($208/kg). Experts say that the falling market price may indicate that the number of bluefin tuna in the Sea of ​​Japan is recovering. However, in Moscow, 1 kg of this fish is still sky-high prices: it costs from 17,000 rubles.

9. French fries

Up to 457 euros per kilogram

The French variety La bonnotte de Noirmoutier is considered the most expensive potato in the world. It is grown on the island of Noirmoutier in limited quantities (up to 100 tons annually) and requires special care: it is harvested by hand and practically never stored. Thanks to the island's unique microclimate and sandy soil rich in algae, potatoes have an unusual sweet taste with hints of nuts. When the first crops went on sale, they were prohibitively expensive: for example, in 1996, potatoes left an auction in Paris for 457 euros per 1 kg. Now passions have subsided somewhat, wholesalers at the end of May can count on a price of 9-10 euros per 1 kg, but in shops and restaurants these potatoes are still “golden”.

10. Musang coffee

Up to 108,000 rubles. per kilogram

The most unusual and expensive coffee is produced in Indonesia with the direct participation of animals - musangs. These animals swallow the most ripe and delicious fruits of coffee trees, and then people pick up their excrement interspersed with grains, process it and make the elite drink kopi luwak. According to sellers, it "has a rare caramel hue, smells like chocolate and is the drink of the gods."

It is curious that once musangs in Southeast Asia were considered pests, until some inventor guessed to find a use for their excrement. It turned out that after treatment with enzymes contained in the stomach of animals, coffee beans change their taste properties, losing bitterness: the drink turns out to be tender and contains less caffeine. The high price of coffee is explained by the fact that genuine kopi luwak is made from the excrement of wild, not farmed, musangs, that is, in small quantities, and the processing and production process is extremely difficult. In the Russian market, prices for this coffee range from 2,300 to 10,800 rubles. for 100 g.

The well-being of people is growing, most are able to feed themselves and their families, but still there are products that only very rich people can afford. And the most expensive food in the world is likely to remain out of reach for many of us.

The most expensive dumplings

The most expensive dumplings are luminous blue dumplings, which are prepared at the Golden Gates restaurant in New York. For one serving of 16 small dumplings, the visitor will have to pay 4.5 thousand dollars. Pelmeni is an original Russian dish, so it is not surprising that, having opened a restaurant in New York, Russian emigrants began to cook dumplings. But visitors need to be attracted to their establishment with something, so the owners decided, in addition to ordinary dumplings, to cook glowing in the dark dumplings. A similar effect is achieved by adding the secret of the glands of the torch fish to the minced meat from a mixture of pork, beef and elk. In daylight, dumplings are blue, and in the dark they illuminate the table. It is understandable that restaurateurs serve this dish in low light, which gives it a special flavor.

most expensive tea

The most expensive tea is Chinese tea Da Hong Pao, which is translated from Chinese as “big red robe”. One kilogram of it costs 700 thousand dollars. Da Hong Pao tea grows only in one place on the planet - near the Tianxin Monastery, in Fujian Province. There are only six tea bushes growing there, their age is more than 350 years. Only 500 grams of young tea leaves are removed from them per year, hence the high price. Although gourmets say that the taste of tea is excellent. They called the tea “big red robe” due to the fact that in the first half of May, when red buds swell on the bushes, it seems that the tea bushes really dressed in a reddish outfit.

most expensive mushroom

The most expensive mushroom is a truffle, the price per kilogram can reach up to 8 thousand dollars (you can only buy it at an auction). But the truffle, like ordinary mushrooms, is a perishable product. So, in 2004, a white truffle (and it is the most expensive one) was bought by one buyer for 30,000 pounds, but bad luck - during the auction, the mushroom was rotten. The unlucky customer was forced to throw it away without even trying it. In 2007, three Hong Kong millionaires teamed up to buy one mushroom for three, paying $209,000 for a 750-gram truffle. The larger the mushroom, the higher its price. The largest truffle weighed two and a half kilograms. And the most expensive variety of all truffles is the Alba truffle, also called the "white diamond", it grows only in the Italian province of Piedmont.

most expensive meat

The most expensive meat is marbled beef. Its price is about a thousand dollars per kilogram. This name was given to the meat due to its appearance: thin fatty layers among the muscles really look like marble. This meat is very tender, soft and juicy, because during the heat treatment, the fat layers melt and fill the meat with their juice. The price of marbled beef depends on the number of layers, the more there are, the more expensive marbled beef. To obtain this meat, cows of a special breed - Vagiu are bred; previously they were only in Japan, but in recent years they have been grown in Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. But not every cow of the Wagyu breed produces marbling meat, this requires special care. For the first six months of life, calves are given only warm milk, then they are grazed on ecologically clean pastures (and people do not approach them, so as not to disturb the unity of bulls with nature). After that, each cow is given a separate isolated pen, into which not a single sound from outside penetrates, and the poor fellow is suspended from the ceiling so that she cannot move or lie on her side. This is done so that all the muscles of the cattle are tense, then the fat layers in the meat will be uniform. And they begin to feed to satiety with high-quality grain, drinking beer between feedings (to increase appetite). In between meals, to pleasant music, specially trained people massage the cows.
Such a “sweet” cow life lasts a little less than a year. But all good things come to an end, and the well-fed life of fattened cows also comes to an end. They are slaughtered, because the marble meat is already ready. It will be very tender, such that the Japanese say that it does not need teeth. In Russia, such meat appeared thanks to Khrushchev. Once, while on a visit to one country, he tried a dish of marbled beef. He liked the taste of meat so much that, when he arrived home, he ordered the creation of a livestock farm, to which several Wagyu cows were brought from Japan; they later gave offspring - and marbled beef appeared in Russia. True, in Soviet times it was available only to the leaders of the USSR.

most expensive nut

The most expensive nut is the macadamia nut (or kindal - kindal). Its main supplier is Australia, a small amount of macadamia is grown in Brazil, South Africa and Hawaii. Other countries have also tried to cultivate macadamia plantings, but without success. This is a very whimsical, slow growing plant. The bush begins to bear fruit at the age of ten, its life span is more than a hundred years. No wonder macadamia is called the king of all nuts! This is the most high-calorie nut in the world, it helps with headaches, arthritis, varicose veins, improves immunity, improves skin composition, has anti-aging properties, strengthens hair. No wonder in ancient times macadamia was considered a sacred nut. It is clear that the difficulties of growing and numerous useful properties, and amazing taste, have made macadamia an expensive product. One kilogram costs about 50 dollars.

most expensive milk

The most expensive milk is the milk of mice, in which the human gene has been introduced into the body. The milk of such mice is used in the manufacture of drugs that improve hematopoiesis, it contains lactoferrin, a human protein. It is also used in baby food. One such mouse costs 3 thousand dollars. Milking mice with the help of the thinnest tubes on electronic equipment; to milk one liter of milk, you need to milk 4500 mice. Not surprisingly, the price of one liter of mouse milk is very high - about 23 thousand dollars.

The most expensive caviar

The most expensive caviar is Almas caviar, which is given by the albino beluga living in the Caspian Sea. This caviar is light in color, with a silvery tint. Not only do only beluga albinos produce Almas caviar, but their age must also be at least a hundred years old. So judge, are there many such elderly beluga whales in the Caspian Sea? Of course not. Therefore, only about 10 kg of such caviar are mined per year, the queue for the purchase is drawn up many years in advance. Almas caviar is packaged in golden jars, the cost of 100 grams of caviar reaches 3 thousand dollars.

most expensive oil

The most expensive oil is argan oil, which is produced from the argan plant. It grows only in Morocco, attempts to breed argan in other warm countries have failed. Therefore, argan oil is the rarest in the world. It is obtained by processing the fruits of argan. From 30 kg of nuts you can get 1 liter of oil. Argan oil is not only very tasty, but also useful: it helps with diseases of the skin and hair. 100 ml of argan oil costs about $300.

most expensive spice

The most expensive spice is saffron. It is extracted from the stamens of the crocus, which grows in India. One flower has only 3 stamens, and they are harvested by hand. To collect 1 kg of spice, you need 200 thousand flowers! This is a colossal work, so the price of 1 kg of saffron reaches 6 thousand dollars.

most expensive potato

We call potatoes “second bread”, this is a very affordable and familiar product for us. But few people know that there is one variety of potatoes that only very rich people can buy. This is La Bonnotte, it is grown only on the small French island of Nurmoitier, in the Atlantic Ocean. The price of one kilogram of this potato exceeds $500. The land on which La Bonnotte potatoes are grown is fertilized with special seaweed. The beds are made small, with a special heating and ventilation system; All work is carried out without the use of machinery, only manually. Only 100 tons of potatoes are harvested in one season.