What exactly is Wagyu?
How do you know if it's authentic or not?
And why is it so darn expensive?
Keep watching to learn the answers to these questions and more, as we uncover the truth
about Wagyu beef.
The term Wagyu beef literally translates to Japanese cow, where "Wa" means Japanese and
"gyu" means "cow".
However, the simple definition belies the complicated facts behind the umami-rich delicacy.
For starters, it's pronounced wah-gyoo, not wah-goo, a fairly common mispronunciation.
What's more, Wagyu isn't a blanket term for all Japanese cows.
The Wagyu steak served at Michelin-starred restaurants refers to four specific breeds
of Japanese cattle that have unique genetic traits.
The American Wagyu Association says that Wagyu breeds can trace their genetics as far back
as 35,000 years.
Modern Wagyu cows are the result of crossing native Japanese cattle with imported breeds.
This process began in 1868 when the government sought to integrate Western food into Japanese culture.
Before this time, cows were primarily used as draft animals in agriculture and were bred
primarily for physical endurance.
Today, the four breeds of Japanese Black, Brown, Shorthorn, and Polled are considered Wagyu.
Although there are many sub-varieties of Wagyu cattle as well.
The most premium cuts are sourced from only 10 regions, and one of the most expensive
types is Matsusaka Wagyu, which is valued for its tenderness and comes from virgin female cows.
What makes Wagyu beef taste so great?
"Money."
Not quite!
However, the answer should be immediately obvious looking at a slab of raw Wagyu.
Wagyu beef is visibly distinguished by streaks of white fat interlaced throughout its pinkish meat.
It's this remarkable amount of intramuscular fat, also known as "marbling," that gives
Wagyu its famous buttery flavor that critics rave about.
The fat is also responsible for Wagyu's soft, tender texture.
The marbling isn't just tasty, it also provides healthy fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6
In fact, Wagyu cattle were originally bred for agricultural labor precisely because of
their inherent genetic marbling.
The extra fat in their flesh provided them with an additional energy source, so they
were able to work harder and longer than regular cattle.
Comparatively, cuts of Choice and Select beef — official grades used by the USDA to evaluate
meat — have less marbling.
This means these leaner cuts are less juicy and tender.
The marbling is also why Wagyu beef is so expensive.
High-quality Wagyu can cost around $200 per pound and a Wagyu cow can sell for as much
as $30,000 at auction.
Wagyu cows are naturally endowed with special genetic traits that lend their flesh a high
degree of marbling, also called the quote, "marbling gene."
However, there's also a lot of work that goes into cultivating Wagyu beef to the point where
it can sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
First, Japanese ranchers ensure only the cattle with the best genes are bred for Wagyu beef production.
Breeders gather and analyze data about their cattle's progeny, such as statistics on the
calves' marbling, which helps to determine which pairs to breed together in the future.
This all ensures the highest quality beef.
The Japanese government also mandates offspring testing among its Wagyu cows.
Calves are bottle-fed milk by hand until they're about 10 months old, at which point they're
sold to another rancher who feeds them a special recipe of whole grains.
However, the specifics vary between farmers.
Conventional cattle, on the other hand, are fed corn.
While regular cows are encouraged to gain weight quickly and are given hormones to speed
up the process, this is not the case with Wagyu.
During the fattening stage, each cow eats 5 tons of food.
Ranchers ensure they lead stress-free lives and expend as little energy as possible.
This is because happier cows are tastier cows.
Ranchers pamper their cows with special attention to achieve this goal.
Wagyu is often used as an umbrella term, but Japan actually has over 200 brands of prized beef.
Similar to how wine and cheese are often categorized according to region and method of cultivation,
Japan classifies its beef by region.
And each Wagyu brand meets different standards according to the production area.
Just as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne wines only come from those specific wine-producing areas.
Regional brands of Wagyu can only come from certain parts of Japan.
For superior levels of marbling, the following are considered the top three Wagyu brands
in Japan: Kobe, Matsusaka Ushi, and Ohmi beef.
All of them originate from the region of Kansai, but each has a distinctive taste that sets
them apart from one another.
Of the three, Kobe is the most well-known.
It comes from Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture.
The cattle are fed a special mix of rice and corn, a diet that results in beef with high
marbling, sweet flavor, and luscious texture.
Matsusaka Ushi comes from virgin cows in Matsusaka City in the Mie Prefecture.
These cows are fed beer by ranchers who give them highly personalized care and attention.
This results in beef with particularly high-fat content.
Lastly, there's Ohmi wagyu from the Shiga Prefecture, where the distinctive beef is
known for its tender fat.
Historically, miso-marinated Ohmi beef was often given to shogun, or military leaders
in feudal Japan, as medicine.
The main difference between American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu is that Japanese versions
come from purebred cattle whereas their American counterparts are mostly cross-bred.
According to Lone Mountain Wagyu, four Wagyu bulls were imported to the U.S. in 1976.
While Wagyu cows in Japan were carefully kept separate from other breeds to ensure the bloodlines
remained pure, Wagyu cattle in the U.S. were crossbred with Angus cows.
It wasn't until 1993 that three Japanese Black females were brought over to the U.S., resulting
in the first purebred American Wagyu.
Japan continued to export Wagyu cows — but only Black and Red breeds.
That is until 1997 when the country declared the prized cattle breed a national treasure
and banned the export of Wagyu.
As a result of crossbreeding, most American Wagyu boasts a high level of marbling but
still falls short compared to Japanese Wagyu when it comes to mouthfeel, umami, and meat-to-fat ratio.
This doesn't mean American Wagyu isn't worth it.
Joe Heitzeberg, co-founder and CEO of Crowd Cow, told Robb Report:
"You can eat more of it.
With the Japanese stuff, because it's so fatty and rich, most people can't eat more than
a few bites of it before it's so overwhelming."
If you're on the hunt for genuine Wagyu in the United States, pay special attention to
the label.
Because there's a good chance the restaurant might be trying to scam you into believing
its offerings are higher quality than they actually are.
In 2012, Forbes writer Larry Olmsted claimed Kobe beef at U.S. restaurants to be, quote,
"food's biggest scam."
His reasoning?
Before 2010, the U.S. couldn't import beef from Japan, much less Kobe, and yet restaurants
often labeled their beef as such anyway.
Even after the ban on Kobe was lifted, the trickery by U.S. restaurants continued.
A 2016 investigation from Inside Edition revealed that the "Kobe" Wagyu beef on the menu of
some of New York City's premier steakhouses was actually a cheaper cut of beef.
These restaurants charged as much as $350 for phony cuts.
One restaurant, McCormick & Schmick's, even ran into legal trouble because of its trickery.
The reason restaurants are able to get away with duping diners is that labeling regulation
from the Department of Agriculture mandates that beef only has to have 46.9% of Wagyu
genetics to market itself as such for sale at retail locations.
Restaurants don't have to abide by these rules at all, meaning they call anything they want Wagyu.
Most diners are familiar with all the classic American methods for cooking steak, from grilling
and pan-frying to sous vide and broiling.
Americans tend to also be fans of big hunks of beef with a crusty, char-grilled exterior.
The Japanese, however, have cultivated their own special methods for preparing their prized
Wagyu delicacy.
One classic method is called yakiniku, which is when you cook thin strips over a small
tabletop grill, seasoned with pink salt and grilled garlic.
Another way is to dip strips in a pot of boiling water, known as shabu-shabu-style.
Thirdly, you can eat Wagyu in thinly cut strips fried with raw egg, or sukiyaki-style.
Authentic Wagyu is also often sliced into thin slivers, eaten with chopsticks instead
of a knife and fork, and the meat only touches the heat for about 40 seconds.
You can find delicious American-style Wagyu stateside, but this means U.S. restaurants
often favor non-authentic methods.
So, if you ever make it to Japan, make it your mission to try authentic Wagyu, because
it could be your only opportunity.
You might associate the famous Japanese delicacy with Michelin-starred restaurants, but Wagyu
has recently appeared on the menus of major fast-food chains, too.
Arby's announced in the summer of 2021 that it was testing out a new burger made with
Wagyu beef.
According to a photo of the menu shared by a Reddit user, the Wagyu burger only costs
$5.99 on its own, or $8.49 with a side of small fries and a drink.
Seems like a bargain, right?
Well, the reason behind the discount is that Arby's burger isn't 100% Wagyu, but rather
is a mix of 52% American Wagyu and 48% sirloin.
While Arby's take on Wagyu is unlikely to compare with pure Wagyu, it's still worth a try.
Burger King also made headlines when it debuted "The Burger'' in London in 2008 — a $200
burger made of Wagyu beef topped with Pata Negra ham, Cristal onion straws, white truffles,
lamb lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, Modena balsamic vinegar, organic white wine, and
shallot mayo in an Iranian saffron bun.
"We spared no expense!"
The burger was widely panned by critics for its mediocre flavor.
On the bright side, all the proceeds went to charity.
Red Lobster, the home of the Cheddar Bay Biscuit, also added a Wagyu beef cheeseburger to its
menu at the start of 2021.
At $12.99 per burger, it likely comes from American Wagyu cattle, though the Red Lobster
menu doesn't exactly specify the source.
Not having easy, affordable, and immediate access to Wagyu beef is a modern problem.
"And modern problems require modern solutions."
So if you don't live near one of the eight restaurants that offer authentic Wagyu or
you can't jet set to Japan, there's another option available to foodies: mail-delivery steak.
Whether you prefer the smoky flavor profile of grilled steak or beef seasoned in a cast-iron
skillet, you can rest assured the World Wide Web has a style to suit every taste.
When it comes to mail-ordered Wagyu, there are relatively affordable options available,
such as the $80 12-ounce American Wagyu New York strip from Snake River Farms.
Or the American Wagyu Gold Grade top sirloin, which is only $22 per steak.
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