For those with a taste for the extraordinary, Shigeru Nitta’s butcher shop, Asahiya, in the central Japan prefecture of Hyogo, has become a pilgrimage site. Renowned for his Kobe beef croquettes, Nitta is challenging the limits of culinary anticipation, with an order placed today expected to be delivered a staggering 38 years from now.
According to the South China Morning Post, Nitta’s culinary masterpiece features grade A5 Kobe beef – the pinnacle of quality in this rarefied delicacy. Sourced from three-year-old locally raised cows, the beef is combined with Red Andes potatoes known for their high sugar content and onions from Awaji Island in the inland sea off Hyogo Prefecture. The resulting 10cm-wide, 100-gram croquettes, known as kiwami or the ultimate, are delivered frozen in boxes of 10, each containing around 30 grams of prime Kobe beef, priced at a modest 300 yen (Rs 168.60) per piece.
“I estimate we are losing 300 yen on every croquette that we sell because the beef that goes into them is so expensive,” Nitta told This Week. “But we started selling them because we wanted people to have a taste of high-quality, diced Kobe beef and to encourage them to buy other cuts of beef from us.”
The campaign has been remarkably successful, with Nitta’s business expanding to operate two shops. The croquettes’ popularity, fueled by media coverage and word of mouth, has created an exclusivity factor. With only 200 croquettes produced daily, there’s a massive backlog. As of the end of last year, the order list boasts around 63,000 names and the newest additions will have to wait until the year 2062 to savour the exquisite delicacy.
Founded in 1926, Asahiya has been under Nitta’s stewardship since 1994. The croquettes, initially introduced as a promotional tool for the shop’s other products, became an unexpected sensation. Nitta attributes part of the success to the internet, providing accessibility to high-grade Kobe beef that was previously hard to find.
In 2016, overwhelmed by a 14-year waiting list, Nitta temporarily stopped taking new orders. However, the hiatus was short-lived, with customer demand forcing him to resume, pushing delivery dates into the distant future.
“The secret is in the quality of the beef and other ingredients,” Nitta reveals. “People know it is going to be good, and while they know they are going to have to wait to try these croquettes, they think it’s worth it.”
Despite the ambitious delivery timelines, Nitta doesn’t envision personally delivering orders in 38 years. “I do not expect to be around then,” he laughs. “But the shops will still be here, and I hope that my grandkids will still be making croquettes then.”
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