A special kind of Japanese beef that is a dozen times more expensive than Vietnamese meat will be available in the Southeast Asian country early next month, a Japanese official said Wednesday.

Hida beef, slaughtered from the famous black-haired cattle raised in the Japanese prefecture of Gifu, will enter the Vietnamese market in early August, the region’s governor, Furuta Hazime, on a Viet Nam visit, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

A slice of Hida beef is seen in this photo provided by Gifu Prefecture.

The specialty recently won the top prize at the Kinki Tokai Hokuriku Beef Cattle Exhibition in Japan, fetching around 18,000 Japanese yen (US$145) a kg in its home market, Hazime said.

Normal beef is selling at VND250,000 ($12) a kg at most in Viet Nam.

Hida beef will be mostly distributed to luxury Japanese restaurants in Viet Nam to serve the increasing number of middle-class consumers in the country, Hazime said.

It is known as one of the finest quality varieties of beef, with the highest quality marbling, luster, color, texture and smell.

(Source: tuoitrenews)