What is Wagyu Beef?

Have you ever seen the word “Wagyu Beef” or “Kobe” on a menu in a high-end restaurant and wondered what makes this beef so unique? Wagyu Beef is truly something special and highly coveted among chefs around the world. The reason why this beef is so prized is due to its incredible marbling, resulting in an indulgent and buttery tenderness that cannot be found in other types of cattle. Wagyu Beef also contains a higher level of beneficial fatty acids, making it a healthier option compared to other types of beef. It's no surprise that this meat has been regarded as a luxurious delicacy for decades.

Translated from Japanese, the word Wagyu means literally “Japanese cow”, from “Wa-”, meaning “Japanese”, and “-gyu”, meaning “cow”. Considered one of Japan’s national treasures, Wagyu cattle are bred and raised with the utmost care and attention through every stage of life. 

In Japan, four breeds are considered Wagyu cattle - The Japanese Black (the predominant Wagyu exported to the United States), the Japanese Brown or Red Wagyu (also known as Akaushi), and the Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn breeds, both of which are only bred in Japan.

Although the Japanese Black cow makes up most of the Wagyu produced inside and outside of Japan, all four breeds follow the same guidelines and grading system for raising and producing Wagyu Beef.

How is Japanese Wagyu raised?

Wagyu calves stay with their mothers until around 7-10 months old, raised by specialty breeders. After this, they go to auction along with a birth certificate certifying their Wagyu bloodline, and are sold to local farmers. As they grow, Wagyu cattle are fed for over 600 days with a carefully selected blend of high-energy ingredients, including hay, grains, and wheat. In their pens, they often share the space with only four or five other cows, and are given plenty of time in the pasture to graze and wander.

Farmers take great care to ensure that their animals don’t become tense, and noise levels are strictly monitored. Stress in cows toughens the muscle and ruins the quality. Wagyu cattle in Japan are also never fed artificial steroids, hormones, or drugs to make them gain weight faster. This means a longer maturation time, but the natural way the cows are fed and raised gives them an incredible quality of life, which translates into supremely delicious meat.

What Makes Wagyu So Special?

The first thing you’ll notice when you look at Wagyu beef is the streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat. This marbling is what gives meat its tenderness, and Wagyu has just about the most marbling you can find in a cut of beef. In fact, Japanese Wagyu consistently has the highest scores of Intermuscular Fat, or IMF scores, of any beef in the world, with only Japanese beef able to earn the coveted A5 rating that designates it as the best beef you can buy within Japan.

The careful monitoring from birth to harvest of Wagyu cows, including breeding for strong, healthy bloodlines, feeding only healthful foods, and keeping stress to a minimum, all translates into the highest quality finished product. Incredible amounts of effort, time, and money go into ensuring Wagyu cattle have the best life possible, and thus produce the best meat possible.

The texture of Wagyu is unparalleled. Its high fat content and extraordinary marbling gives even lesser cuts a silky, tender, and buttery texture. This meat literally melts in your mouth.

In addition to its succulent texture, Wagyu is one of the most flavorful meats you can eat. Its flavor is incredibly savory and rich, with a deep, uniquely beefy and fatty flavor that has to be tasted to be believed. 

So, what is Kobe Beef?

The short answer? All Kobe is Wagyu, but not all Wagyu is Kobe. Kobe beef is actually Wagyu beef that specifically comes from the Kobe region in Japan, raised only in the Hyogo Prefecture, and only from Tajima black breed cattle. Because of this, authentic Kobe beef is extremely rare to find outside Japan.

Wagyu is often labeled as Kobe beef in the United States, even when it isn’t, because the term “Kobe” is not regulated anywhere outside Japan. This leads to a lot of confusion as to whether or not you’re getting genuine Kobe beef when not in Japan. In fact, real Kobe beef has only been imported and distributed to around 50 restaurants in the United States as of Jan, 2022, so you’re much more likely to find regular Wagyu masquerading as Kobe on menus. That’s not to say it isn’t still delicious Wagyu beef, but for the true Kobe experience, you might need to visit one of the few lucky restaurants, or take a trip to Japan!

Where is Wagyu Beef from?

Japanese Wagyu

In Japan, Wagyu cattle are bred and raised all across the country, but there are three main regions that produce what is considered to be the best in Japan. Japan’s “Big Three” include: Hyogo Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, and Shiga Prefecture. 

Hyogo produces Kobe beef, arguably the most famous, and regarded around the world as the highest quality beef you can buy. It’s rare to see this beef outside of Japan, and the meat produced by these cows is outstandingly tender and marbled. 

From the Mie Prefecture comes Matsusaka beef. Japanese natives consider this region’s Wagyu to be the cream of the crop, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, an even deeper beef flavor than Kobe, and an almost sweet aftertaste.

The Shiga Prefecture is home to Omi beef, the Japanese Wagyu with the longest history, dating back over 400 years. During the Edo period, Omi beef was produced only as a gift to the Shogun. Today, Omi beef remains soft and tender, with balanced and intense marbling and a significantly lower melting point that equates to an incredible melting sensation in the mouth.

Other notable Wagyu brands include Saga beef, Miyazaki beef, and Kagoshima beef. Kagoshima Wagyu actually makes up around 20% of Japan’s total Wagyu production, the highest quantity in the country, and often the most exported. Produced from the Kuroge Washu Japanese Black breed cow, these cattle enjoy a temperate climate with plenty of sun and natural surroundings. Kagoshima Wagyu has a full-bodied flavor and a deliciously tender bite from its rich but balanced marbling.

Did you know we sell A5 Wagyu? Check it out!

How is Japanese Wagyu Graded?

Japanese Wagyu is graded into two factors:

• A letter grade (A-C), and 
• A number grade (1-5). 

The letter grade is given based on how much meat is yielded from the cow at harvest, with a grade of A given for a yield of 72% or more. 

The number grade is given based on a few factors, including the color, the quality of the fat, the texture of the meat, and the marbling, based on the Beef Marbling Standard (BMS) score.

The BMS is a scale from 1-12 that determines how well a piece of meat is marbled. To achieve the highest A5 grade, the beef needs to be given an Excellent BMS score, which would put it between 8-12 on the scale.

Only the best of the best Wagyu achieves the top A5 rating, marking it as the highest quality beef in Japan.

American Wagyu

First bred in the States in 1975, American Wagyu started with just four Japanese bulls imported from Japan. From there, these four Wagyu steers were bred with local breeds such as Black Angus cows to produce intensely marbled meat, following Japan’s lead with high-quality feed and stress-free environments. In the 1990s, further imports of Red Akaushi and Black breed cattle strengthened American Wagyu bloodlines into the melt-in-your-mouth, delicious beef we know today.

American Wagyu exceeds USDA Prime marbling scores, and often has to be rated on the Japanese Beef Marbling Standard, or BMS score. Wagyu cattle in the United States are normally fed for around 400 days before harvest, with plenty of pasture time. Used in restaurants across the country, and much more common to find in American grocery stores than its foreign counterparts, domestic Wagyu is worth the hype (and the splurge).

Australian Wagyu

Australia is one of the largest producers of Wagyu in the world. With ample land on which to raise cattle, Australia’s Wagyu is rich and buttery, with some natural variations in flavor from the differences in climate and native grasses. Australian Wagyu cattle are fed for 350-450 days before harvest, and have excellent marbling. 

Australia has its own systems for grading beef. The first, known as the AUS-MEAT marbling system, is numbered from 0 (no marbling), to 9+ (extraordinary marbling), with Wagyu consistently on the high end. The second system is the MSA Index, which grades the marbling of the meat on a scale from 100-1100. 

Okay, but what is the best way to cook wagyu steak?

Wagyu has an incredibly low melting point, and is best enjoyed before the fat has had a chance to melt and render completely for that true melt-in-your-mouth texture. Here are some tips on how to cook A5 Wagyu steak:

• Keep the steak cold: The fat in A5 Wagyu beef melts at a much lower temperature than other steaks.
• Season the steak in advance: Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides of the steak. Seasoning simply allows the flavor of the Wagyu to shine.
• Pat the steak dry: Use a napkin or paper towel to dab off any moisture the salt may have brought to the surface before cooking.
• Preheat your skillet on high heat: You want the skillet very hot, at least 425°F to create a delicious crust without overcooking the meat.
• Sear the steak: Place the steak on the hot skillet and sear it for 1-2 minutes per side, or until medium-rare to medium. Don't move the steak around too much while searing, as this can prevent a good crust from forming.
• Let it rest: Once the steak is cooked to your liking, remove it from the pan and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing into it. This allows the juices to redistribute and results in a more tender and juicy steak.
• Enjoy: Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices or cubes.

A5 Wagyu in particular is very, very rich, and a little goes a long way. Take your time and enjoy each decadent, buttery, beefy bite.