Article by: yana

Surprised at the prices of meet and fish? There's a good explanation!

In general, Japanese people do not eat as much meat produce as people in western countries, even though Japanese today eat nearly 20% more meat per person than they did just two decades ago, and yakiniku (Korean-style barbecue) and stake restaurants are becoming more popular, meat is still quite expensive in Japan. The same goes for fish. But when you look closer – it is not that the meat and fish are very expensive, rather than there is a big range of prices. When it comes to regular beef it is something affordable for most people in Japan, but then there is also another kind of meat: Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef quality is determined by four factors: marbling, color and brightness, firmness and texture, and fat quality. It is more tender and juicier than regular beef, with a good buttery taste. Marbling, or fat streaks that run across the muscle rather than just around the edges, is a sign of high-quality Wagyu. This meat is considered the highest quality and the cows are specially bred and slaughtered – which explains the price.

When it comes to fish, while there is no alternative to Wagyu in fishes, there are still different types that cost differently. In general, you will find that tuna and mackerel can be quite cheap, followed by salmon. Other seafood can get pricey – but you can always buy it frozen and save some money.