Japan’s ‘Tonkatsu’ pork cutlets are accompanied by a mound of freshly shredded cabbage. But a surge in the price of this leafy green is compelling many eateries across the country to skimp on servings. This has been dubbed as the ‘cabbage shock’.
The culprit is climate change. This largely anthropogenic crisis has made extreme natural disasters and higher temperatures more frequent. Last year, Japan noted its joint hottest summer since records began.
Neighbouring South Korea – famous for its all-important side dish kimchi – has also suffered. In Japan, the soaring cabbage prices is the latest pain point for shoppers and eateries already squeezed by inflation.
