At $115, the burger at Jardin Grill in New Zealand — appropriately named Le Burger Bourgeoisie — is the cheapest of 2022’s most expensive burgers in the world. It's cheaper than the $151 World Champion Burger in Atlanta’s Truist Park. And, in case you’re wondering, the most expensive is $6,000.
But at just over $100 each, Jardin Grill’s Le Burger Bourgeoisie is plenty pricey, composed entirely of premium and extravagant ingredients. The beef patty is made of Japanese Waygu A5, acknowledged as the best beef in the world. It’s topped with a crayfish remoulade, free-range duck egg aioli, caviar and housemade pork belly bacon. The melted cheddar is aged, the cucumber and tomato tea-infused, with baby gem lettuce, and a whisky barbeque sauce, all nestled in a 24-carat gold plated milk bun!
Not too long ago, the tab for just one of these outrageously expensive burgers could have funded a full-blown July 4th family and friends cookout including plenty of hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes, all the fixings, and non-alcoholic beverages. Not this year. Prices for the traditional cookout items have spiked, according to a new study from the Political Calculations blog. The survey compared Walmart’s grocery prices to last year’s retail costs. Last year, 2 pounds of ground beef cost $8.20 — now the cost is up nearly a buck at $9.14. 1 pound of sliced cheese also costs nearly a dollar more at $4.98, up from last year’s $4.05. A package of eight hamburger buns stands at $2.58; it was $1.66 last year. And at $7.44, a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream is 58% higher than 2021’s $4.69.
All of us may be feeling the pinch of inflation, but it’s a sure bet that many July 4th revelers will eat the extra costs and party on. Other folks I know planned for smaller gatherings, cutting way back on food and guests.
Either way, a cookout is not in the plans for an increasing number of Massachusetts residents who don’t know when or if they will get their next meal.
On this food-focused holiday, I’m thinking about the 1.8 million people in this state who are food insecure. I know the exact number because of a recent survey by the Greater Boston Food Bank. GBF Bank President Catherine D’Amato told the Boston Globe it was a “frightening statistic.” The survey also revealed that most of those going hungry are Latinx, Black and Asian. Many have turned to food banks for help, even though they are working. Inflation has turned former food bank donors into clients. And ironically just as the need is greater, food banks are juggling worker shortages, fewer donations, and higher transportation costs. I keep thinking about the hungry children in
Massachusetts, the ones who live in 40% of the households with children.
Cutbacks of federal and state food programs have put pressure on the food banks to meet the growing need. But it’s too big a problem, and there’s no immediate sign of Congress stepping in. But as they say, every little bit helps. There is a moral obligation for those of us privileged to have full home pantries. I like the practical perspective of Mother Teresa, the Catholic Saint who said, “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” I’m sending in my donation, and you?
