Marble beef is the most expensive meat in the world. The most expensive products 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 Japanese classical music is turned on to improve digestion. 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 delicate 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.

• April 3, 2009
• 20519
• 97

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The world of the rich and famous attracts many of us. The rich live the lifestyle that many of us want to live, and they do what many only dream of. The same applies to food, they can taste something that we may never be able to taste. I bring to your attention a list of "The most expensive foods in the world, the most expensive drinks, desserts and spices."

So let's get started:

1. Saffron, a spice grown all over the world, obtained from saffron flowers. It takes 50,000-70,000 flowers to make a pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg), which is comparable to a football field. High costs and labor required, spice price US$ 500 to US$ 5,000 per pound (US$ 1,100–US$ 11,000 per kilogram).

2. The most expensive potato in the world is French, “La Bonnotte”. Every year only 100 tons of these high quality potatoes are grown and harvested on the island of Noirmoutier alone. Potato fields require only seaweed fertilization and growing in a climate shaped by the neighboring sea. The cost of one kilogram can reach 500 €, since this type of potato is almost extinct.

3. The most expensive nut in the world is the macadamia nut. The macadamia tree begins to bear fruit only 7-10 years after planting, it requires fertile soil and a large amount of heavy rainfall. This nut has a very hard seed, but as soon as it is cracked open a creamy white kernel containing 80% oil and 4% sugar. The cost of a kilogram of these nuts exceeds $30.

4. The most expensive mushroom in the world is the white truffle. This mushroom originates from the Langhe region, a foothill region in northern Italy, and can reach 12 cm in diameter and weigh up to 500 grams. These truffles sell for the amazing price of €2,000 and €4,000 per kilo ($1350 - $2700 per pound). The record price for this mushroom was paid last year, in December, when Stanley Ho, the owner of the Macau Casino, paid $330,000 for 1.5 kilos.

6. The most expensive beef in the world is Wagyu beef. These Japanese cows are fed the best grass and are given the best care. That is why the marbled meat of these cows is especially tender and extremely expensive. In Europe, a 200 gram fillet costs over $100.

7. The most expensive sandwich in the world is Club Sandwich from Essen aka von Essen Platinum. This three-story delicacy contains selected chicken, ham, hard-boiled ‘quails’ eggs and white truffles. Currently for sale in Cliveden, Berkshire. Chicken (poulet de Bresse) belongs to the "fourth gastronomic wonder of the world", garnished with white truffles and sold over a thousand pieces a month. Calorie content 1182 calories and 1.8 ounces of fat. This is not the healthiest dish, but it is one of the most expensive. The cost of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) is almost $200.

8. The most expensive pizza is priced at 8300 € and you can try it in Italy. Pizza with a lot of caviar, lobster, diameter 20 cm. During the entire cooking process, the pizza is poured with Louis XIII Remy Martin cognac.

9. The most expensive omelette can be tasted at the Le Parker Meridien restaurant in New York. The $1,000 omelette consists of 10 ounces of sturgeon caviar, a whole lobster, and six eggs. If you make such an omelette at home, it will cost only $700.

10. No more candy now, one of the most expensive desserts is now served at Serendipity 3, a popular restaurant in upper Manhattan. A $1,000 sundae was introduced to the restaurant's menu in 2004 and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive dessert. It consists of 5 scoops of Tahitian vanilla ice cream, Madagascar vanilla, 23 carat edible gold leaf and one of the most expensive chocolates in the world, Amedei Porceleana.

11. The most delicious and most expensive chocolate in the world Chocopologie by Knipschildt. $2,600 per pound (0.45 kg), this chocolate truffle is made to order. It contains black truffle and 70% Valrhona cocoa.

12. The most beautiful and expensive coffee in the world Kopi Luwak. This coffee comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, with an annual production of about 500 pounds of beans. That is why the price for it is arbitrary - from $ 300 and above.

13. The real record for the most expensive tea in the world is held by Chinese tea Tieguanyin, which costs 700 yuan ($3,000) per kilogram (2 pounds and 3 ounces) approximately 8.50 yuan ($15) per cup.

14. The most expensive tea bag was made for PG to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Hand-decorated with 280 diamonds, these teabags are made to remind people how much they love the British cup of tea and cost £7,500. 15. The most expensive champagne in the world Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Blanc de Blanc, made from specially selected grapes, is sold in hand-painted bottles, the price tag is $1,500.

16. The most expensive whiskey in the world Macallan Fine Rare Vintage. Only 85 bottles are produced for the whole world, with 30 years of aging. The price for 1 bottle is $38,000!

17. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, the strongest rum in the world, was bottled in 1940. Only four bottles of the precious liquid remain, each valued at $53,000.

18. The most expensive cocktail in the world "Diamonds-Are-Forever" has no special ingredients. The only justification for the €11,000 price tag is that the olive has been replaced with a 1.6-carat diamond. Served at the Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo.

19. The most expensive beer in the world costs approximately £500 (about $1,000) a bottle and is called Vielle Bon Secours. You can only find it in the Bierdrome Bar, London.

20. Vodka has finally appeared on the list of the most expensive drinks - Diva Vodka, produced by Blackwood Distillery, in Scotland, is considered the most expensive vodka in the world. Depending on your choice of "crystal decoration", the unit price ranges from £35 to £540,000!

Today, restaurants and cafes in abundance offer their visitors dishes from a variety of products. Also in their menu there are often exotic or exclusive treats - for example, crocodile, ostrich, shark meat. It is clear that you will have to pay considerable sums to try such delicacies. However, marbled beef is considered the most expensive meat in the world, steaks from which will give a chic gastronomic explosion of taste to real gourmets and connoisseurs of gourmet food.

To obtain this type of meat, it is necessary to breed cows of the Wagyu breed (Wagyu, the name Wagyu is also found - translated from Japanese as “Japanese cow”). These animals have been raised in Japan for centuries, their export was strictly prohibited.

Later, livestock breeders from some countries managed to negotiate with Japanese farmers. In this way, these cows appeared in Australia, Argentina, New Zealand.

The appearance of the breed in Russia became possible with the assistance of N.S. Khrushchev, who, during a business trip abroad, tried a dish of marbled beef at one of the diplomatic receptions in the United States of America. Upon his return to Moscow, the first secretary instructed to build a farm for breeding Vagiu cattle. They say that it was here that meat was harvested for food in the dining room of the Kremlin party leaders of the USSR.

The concept of "marbling"

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a method for determining the quality of marbled beef, based on determining the amount of fat passing through muscle tissue. Its ratio to the volume of meat indicates the degree of "marbling" of beef. The higher it is, the tastier and more tender such a steak will be, since when frying in a pan or grill, the fat will melt and give additional juiciness.

The veins in the fillet should be thin, uniform, white, and the fillet itself should be of a bright, saturated, even color. This is the main criterion for choosing a tenderloin. Large, infrequent fat layers are a sign of inferior quality.

Depending on the degree of marbling, the following categories of meat are distinguished:

1. Prime is the highest class produced from young animals. Beef has evenly distributed muscle fat over the entire surface of the cut, which gives the fillet a similarity to marble tiles. Hence the name of this expensive meat. Chefs in famous restaurants roast it on a dry pan or grill;
2. Choice is a fillet with a slightly lower marbling than Prime. Such pieces can be baked or stewed under a closed lid;
3. Select - tenderloin is distinguished by a small amount of intramuscular fat, suitable for cooking (languishing) in an oven with pre-marination.

Breeding conditions

Until the age of 4-6 months, the main food of calves is milk. Later they are transferred to pastures in ecologically clean areas. Here, human intervention is minimized, we can say that animals live in almost ideal natural conditions. The next stage is the transfer of livestock to individual pens with soundproofing. Cows are hung on special harness-reins so that the muscles are in constant tension. This contributes to the distribution of fat evenly throughout the muscle mass. Also during this period, which is 200-300 days, fattening of animals with grain of the best varieties begins, usually barley or corn is used. Such a diet contributes to the discoloration of yellowish fat to white. High-calorie food promotes weight gain, to increase the appetite of bulls they drink high-quality beer. It is known that Australian farmers have replaced beer with red wine of many years of aging.

In order to deposit fat into muscle mass and form beautiful thin layers, vibration massage is used. For the well-being of the animals on the farm, musical accompaniment is turned on daily, namely classical music, while each bull is given a massage session and rubbed with sake.

Price

The cheapest fillet is considered the third category Select, the most expensive is the tenderloin of the Prime category, the price of a kilogram of which can reach $ 1,000.

Due to the labor-intensive and costly technology, only farms produce such meat, since it is not practical to do it industrially. Therefore, the cost of such beef has not been reduced for years.

poultry meat

Among the many breeds of chickens, representatives of such unusual species as Ayam Tsemani and Ga Dong Tao stand out significantly. It is the meat of these birds that is considered the most expensive in the world, as it attracts gourmets with its exoticism and unusual taste properties.

Birds of this breed have blue-black skin, feathers, claws, comb, internal organs and blood. This is due to the presence of a dominant gene, which causes hyperpigmentation. They are bred in small quantities in Indonesia, they are not exported outside the country due to the possibility of the spread of bird flu. Dishes from Ayam Tsemani are very expensive, the price fluctuates around $200 per serving.

Having decided to drink a glass of wine in a good restaurant, you might want to order a juicy steak to go with it. But even the most expensive establishment cannot guarantee that there will be real beef in the dish. Why? Yes, just for the reason that only Alexander Polmar can buy true beef. True, such a unique product is distinguished by incomparable high cost - the highest price in the world has been requested for it.

"The Hibernation Method"

The young farmer runs a business that was started by his ancestor back in 1846. But the end of the last century is of particular importance for the business of the Polmar family - it was then that the children and father of Alexander came up with a completely new way of processing and storing meat. They called it the "hibernation method".

In order for the meat to retain its original qualities longer, it undergoes a special treatment with cold air. Thus, an ice stream is blown onto the product at a speed of approximately 120 km/h. The supply air temperature is maintained at -43 °C. After such a procedure, beef becomes more resistant to environmental influences, and all processes in it slow down.

What is the price for the product?

A steak from meat produced on the farm of Alexander Polmar will cost about $ 3,200. Isn't the price too high for a regular tenderloin? The fact is that a special kind of cows is grown on the territory of the farmer's estate - White Aquitaine. A young butcher breeds them with his family in the north-east of France, in a town called Saint-Michel.

As Alexander himself notes, on the farm, cows do not live in sheds or other premises. Animals are given enough space in open areas so that they can feel free. In addition, special shelters have been built among the wooded area in case of rain or snow. “This is a real five-star hotel!” the butcher says of his farm.

No stress - eat juicy beef

All living conditions of cows are arranged so that the animals are subjected to all kinds of stress as little as possible. Moreover, Polmar communicates with his pets every day to make them feel comfortable and at ease. Alexander convinces that peace is essential for the animal, even if his life on the farm is coming to an end.

An increase in the level of adrenaline in the blood of a cow provokes an increase in glycogen and lactic acid in the muscles. This, in turn, negatively affects the taste of meat, as well as its softness.

It is also worth adding that Polmar has invested 1 million euros in a slaughterhouse adjacent to the farm. On it, he kills only 4 cows a week, which also saves their neighbors from stress.

Gourmets appreciated

The owner of the farm likes to repeat the following: "All the love we give to our animals goes through the stove when you cook their meat." And it seems that many lovers of delicious food agree with the statement that beef, grown in special conditions and processed by the “hibernation method”, is unique. The showcases of the Polmar butcher's shop are always crowded with people who want to taste an exquisite product of its kind.

The young farmer's establishment is located in the heart of Paris. It is more reminiscent of a jewelry store of the past centuries than a butcher shop: the interior of the premises is decorated in old, slightly gloomy colors, and all products are placed in wooden boxes and decorated with handwritten labels.

Only available to selected chefs

Not every restaurant can include beef from Polmar in its menu. The most expensive meat in the world so far has the right to get only four chefs from around the world. Before giving the product to the restaurant, Alexander conducts a personal consultation with the visitor. He explains to each chef all the subtleties and nuances of a unique product.