Oxtail lovers may soon have to dig even deeper into their pockets as reports warn of another price hike following import disruptions from Argentina.
Beyond the economics lies a bigger story: the gentrification of our palates.
I found myself asking a question that seemed to resonate with thousands of South Africans: how did umsila wenkomo become a luxury?
I wasn't questioning the economics behind the price. I was questioning the origins of the demand.
News24 reports revealed that South Africa imports about 70% of its oxtail from Argentina, and that a delay in renewing veterinary agreements could push prices from around R80/kg to as much as R100/kg.
As the debate unfolded on X, one response stood out, "Price isn't determined by tradition or by whether something was once considered poor people's food," they wrote. "It's determined by supply, demand and perception of value. Lobster, brisket and wings all tell the same story: yesterday's cheap cut became today's premium delicacy."
Another user offered comic relief:
"Maybe because OXtail doesn't come from a cow??"
The replies made one thing clear: people weren't just talking about oxtail. They were talking about economics, culture and how society assigns value to food.
A cut nobody fought over
For many people who grew up in rural South Africa, umsila wenkomo was never considered the most desirable part of the animal. After a cow was slaughtered, families often had their preferred cuts. Some wanted ribs. Others looked forward to the liver or the head. The tail rarely featured in those conversations.
Today, oxtail is one of the most expensive dishes on many restaurant menus. Supermarkets sell it at a premium and demand has grown so much that South Africa relies heavily on imports to meet local consumption.
The cut itself hasn't changed. What has changed is how we see it.
More than supply and demand
Oxtail has undergone a remarkable rebrand. The once dismissed as a cheap, unfashionable cut has found a new life.
Writing in The Guardian in 2005, food writers Sarah Ryle and David Smith observed that, "A return to no-nonsense, slow cooking has propelled a wartime staple into fashion and on to plates." They credited chefs such as Fergus Henderson, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nigel Slater with inspiring people to rediscover slow-cooked, overlooked cuts. As food television, cookbooks and, more recently, social media turned these dishes into culinary experiences, demand surged.
The irony is that every animal produces just one tail. As more people developed a taste for oxtail, supply struggled to keep up - and prices inevitably followed.
The bigger conversation
The conversation is about more than the price on the shelf. It's a reminder that the foods we value aren't static; they evolve with culture, memory and changing tastes. Cuts once associated with frugality can become symbols of comfort, celebration and even status. This goes for everything else in life.
Maybe that's why my tweet resonated with so many South Africans. It wasn't really a debate about whether umsila wenkomo deserves its premium price. It was about how quickly we rewrite our relationship with food. A cut that many of us don't remember anyone asking to be "saved" after a home slaughter has become one of the country's most coveted dishes.
Sometimes, the biggest transformation isn't on the plate - it’s in the value we choose to place on it.
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