Cabbage Prices Soar 2.5 Times... Japanese Restaurants Even Remove Signature Dishes

Supply imbalance due to Japanese cabbage production issues
Price surge hits essential cabbage dishes
Menus with large amounts of cabbage removed or reduced

Stir-fried pork with cabbage and doenjang seasoning, known as Hoikoro

The story of a restaurant that removed its signature dishes containing cabbage due to soaring cabbage prices in Japan has become a hot topic.

On the 29th, the Hokkoku (Northern Country) Newspaper in Japan reported the headline "Hoikoro Set Meal Suspended." According to the report, a notice like this was posted at a restaurant in Ishikawa Prefecture struggling with the sharp rise in cabbage prices. Since May, the trading price of cabbage within the prefecture has increased 2.5 times compared to the previous year, with wholesale and retail prices exceeding 1,000 yen (approximately 8,700 KRW). Cabbage is an indispensable vegetable on Japanese dining tables, so this has dealt a heavy blow to households already struggling with rising electricity costs and other expenses. The surge in cabbage prices is due to heavy rainfall in major production areas, which reduced output and increased waste, leading to a decrease in supply.

This is the case for a restaurant in Kazuza City, Ishikawa Prefecture. This place was popular among office workers for its Hoikoro Set Meal (980 yen) and Vegetable Stir-fry Set Meal (950 yen), but these menu items have been removed. The Hoikoro Set Meal is a Japanese-style version of the Sichuan Chinese dish Huiguorou (回鍋肉), which is stir-fried pork with vegetables such as cabbage, seasoned with miso (fermented soybean paste). Although there are other menu items containing cabbage, it was impossible to remove them all, so the restaurant reluctantly decided to eliminate only some dishes.

The restaurant is reducing the amount of cabbage used in Japanese-style fried noodles called Yakisoba and salads, substituting with lettuce and soybean sprouts. A representative of a nearby ramen shop said, "The specific methods are a secret, but we think about ways every day to manage cabbage supply," adding, "We do not pass the cost burden onto customers." A local wholesaler said, "Even if we sell cabbage for over 1,000 yen, no one buys it." A consumer said, "Still, I buy at least one," but added, "This is the first time cabbage has been this expensive. I hope the prices stabilize quickly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.