The good news for August is the drop in the inflation rate in the eurozone to 2.2%. year-on-year, four tenths less than the July figure and the lowest figure in three years. For its part, Spain also saw a significant drop of five tenths last month, from 2.9% in July to 2.4% in August.
Gone are the last months of 2022 when the inflation figure reached historic highs, reaching almost 11%. Result: an exponential rise in the prices of the shopping basket and energy goods, also influenced by geopolitical factors, which still hurt the wallet. In just four years, Olive oil has increased by 225%, being one of the most expensive products as well as white sugar, which increased by 91% according to official data from the National Statistics Office.
During these months, the general increase in basic products such as eggs (67%), rice (66%) and yogurts (58%), now de-escalating, has been left in the background. the increase in the price of meat, which last May alone increased by 3.3% in Europe, with pork increasing the most (5.7%), followed by lamb and goat (both with an increase of close to 5%) and beef (only 3%). Although, curiously, Beef has the highest value in the market, with Wagyu being the most expensive.
Double price outside Japan
Wagyu is one of the most expensive meats in the world, but in Spain it is the most expensive. Its exclusivity (it is a cattle breed of Japanese origin) and its intensely marbled composition (this implies a greater infiltration of fat) have made it one of the most sought after, although a few years ago it was only known in the Asian country. Although, for years Wagyu is raised in Spain: there are farms in Cáceres, Burgos, Toledo, Segovia, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca and Santander
The internationalization of Wagyu meat has only increased its deliciousness, despite the fact that since 2014, exports of this meat have increased considerably: In just 5 years, it has grown from almost 1,500 tonnes to more than 3,500 tonnes. A fact that has been reflected in Japanese gastronomy, which has since seen how the price of its most precious meat has continued to increase.
Although Wagyu meat is considered in the Asian country as something distinguished and reserved for certain special occasions Its consumption is much more common than among foreigners.Not to mention that this precious beef is sold much cheaper to locals. In the United States, it is easy to find it at double or triple its value.
However, within the Japanese country, the average price varies between 60 €/kg and 106 €/kg depending on whether it is shoulder or loinalthough on the wholesale market it is possible to find even cheaper prices.
In Spain, and differentiating between the different cuts, the value of Wagyu meat in a gourmet’s from around 34 €/kg to 193 €/kg. Outside of Japan, the differentiating factor for Wagyu beef is the designation of origin itself which distinguishes Kobe beef from Matsusaka beef.
Anyway, The normal thing in our country is to find a kilo of this precious meat for around 400 euros, Depending on the piece, although there are restaurants that offer it at €5,000/kg (Matsusaka), it is the most expensive meat sold in Spain.
Goodbye Kobe, hello Matsusaka
Years ago it started to become popular Kobe meat which, in addition to originating from the Japanese province of Hyogo, also comes from a specific cattle called Tajima Ushi and it is only considered as such if the bovine is less than 6 years old, is a castrated male or a female that has never given birth and if, in the last condition, it weighs less than 500 kg.
And although it has been partly dethroned by Matsusaka beef, Kobe beef continues to be one of the most sought-after meats in the world, especially in Japan where it enjoys great prestige and has its own “certificate of authenticity”. Its popularity in the country is such that there is a 43-year waiting list to taste Kobe beef croquettes from the famous Asahiya butcher’s shop in the city of Takasago.
For its part, the most sought-after in Spain is Matsusaka thanks to the restaurant chain of the Akaneya group, led by the Japanese chef Hiroki Ito, and which is negotiated around 5.00 euros per kilo on the meat market. A high figure at the level of this origin of the Wagyu breed: virgin females raised for 30 or 32 months in the region of the same name.
