Would you consider waiting 30 years to eat a dish? Well, that is the waitlist if you are thinking about trying the popular Japanese beef croquettes.?
Believe it or not, customers will have to wait for three decades to receive frozen Kobe beef croquettes if they order from Asahiya, a family-run butcher shop located in Takasago City in western Japan's Hyogo Prefecture.?
The eatery has been selling meat products since 1926, but its?Kobe?beef croquettes are one of its best-selling items.
According to a report, the waitlist for the frozen croquettes, which are made with Kobe beef and locally grown potatoes, has?more than doubled and now stands at?more than 30 years.
As is the case with a lot of popular food items in Japan, beef croquettes are available only in limited quantities. What¡¯s more, they¡¯re only offered by mail order, so you can¡¯t line up in front of the shop before opening to try to get first dibs. No, you just have to put your order in and then have the patience of a saint.?
In April of this year, a Twitter user posted a picture of her order of croquettes. Along with the picture, she wrote, "My croquettes that I ordered nine years ago have arrived." She had placed the order on September 8, 2013, and was informed that she would have to wait for seven and a half years.
But a delay caused by a bad crop of?potatoes that Asahiya uses for the croquettes prolonged the wait.
The beef croquettes are excellent value, being made from A5-quality beef and locally sourced potatoes.?The delicious savoury treats have become internet folklore thanks to media interest, and the waiting list has zoomed past 30 years.
The croquettes' widespread appeal can be attributed to their low cost. Despite the beef in them costing about $2.70 (Rs 220) per piece when Asahiya initially introduced them in the market, they were only priced at $1.80 (Rs 146.9) per piece.
The price of five beef croquettes is 2,700 yen (Rs 1,500). While that is significantly more than regular croquettes, this is Kobe beef, so the price does not appear to be unreasonable.
Asahiya's official website mentions that customers will have to wait for 32 years if they order the croquettes today.?
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