Wagyu beef, a slice of luxury meat lauded by its level of ‘marbling’, has an incredibly tender, rich, and buttery flavor. The melt-in-your-mouth lure of wagyu beef makes it a frequent sight on Michelin-starred menus across the globe.
Wagyu beef can come from Australia, although it is graded lower than the highly-acclaimed, world-famous Japanese variety, as well as differing in terms of texture and size.
So expensive due to Japan’s stringent rearing method and strict guidelines on feeding, Wagyu has an incredibly unique upbringing. From being fed by hand as a calf, to keeping out the cold with jackets, being given names instead of just a number, having a birth certificate, and even being brushed with a stiff brush to increase blood circulation and to relieve stress, it’s an extremely distinctive process.
What’s the difference?
Japanese wagyu beef – the quintessential form of the meat – is famous for its high levels of marbling, the white fat streaks or flecks in the cut which gives beef its soft texture and enhances the flavor.
The level of marbling is graded, however, the Australian beef grading systems differ from the Japanese grading system. The former scores from 0 to 9 and Australian Wagyu commonly receive a score of 6, whereas Japanese Wagyu is graded by looking at yield from A to C, beef quality from 1 to 5, and a beef marble score from 3 to 12.
As Japanese Wagyu is considered the crème de la crème, it is the only variety which can achieve the superlative A5 score, however, it’s also important to note that the area of grading also differs – In Australia it’s between the 10th and 11th rib, compared to the 6th and 7th rib in Japan.
There are numerous reasons for the difference in appearance and taste; firstly, the climates and food sources differ between the two countries, making them naturally different. Australian wagyu cattle generally feed on grass, wheat, and barley, whereas for Japanese wagyu they mostly feed from grain such as corn, grain sorghum, rice, wheat, and barley.
As well as this, Australian Wagyu are fed for a shorter time than their Japanese counterparts, making the latter double the size; 350- 450 days, and 600+ days of feeding respectively. The long feeding technique makes Japanese Wagyu tenderer, with a distinctive sweet flavor, not found in Australian Wagyu.
Another aspect to take into account is crossbreeding. ‘Purebred wagyu’ is deemed a crossbred animal, where on the fourth cross it has 93.75% wagyu genetics. Purebred wagyu accounts for 95% of all Australian wagyu, which again distances the likeness to their Japanese relatives.
Despite the disparities, both forms of wagyu are often considered culinary delicacies, with a distinctly rich, buttery taste.
What is wagyu beef?
Wagyu beef refers to meat coming from four different breeds; the Japanese Black (the most common export to the U.S), Japanese Brown (referred to as Red Wagyu), Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Japanese Polled or Shorthorns are not bred outside of Japan.
The difference between commonly-found beef and wagyu is the marbling. As wagyu cows metabolize the fat internally, it is integrated within the muscle, creating that unique white-wash across the beef.
As a result, the high-quality meat is known to practically dissolve once it hits your tongue. Not only is wagyu beef a sensory delight, but it’s also healthier for human consumption than other beef forms.
The mono-unsaturated to saturated fat ratio is higher in Wagyu than in other beef; 40% is stearic acid, which has a minimal negative effect on cholesterol levels. Wagyu beef also has a higher amount of good fats (conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)), containing 30% more than other beef breeds.
Where does Wagyu beef originate from?
Wagyu originates from Japan. ‘Wa” means Japanese, meanwhile “Gyu” means beef, although ‘wagyu’ doesn’t just refer to any Japanese beef.
Wagyu beef comes from three main areas in Japan – Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, Matsusaka in Mie Prefecture, and Ohmi beef from Shiga Prefecture. Australian prices for wagyu beef have seen an increase of 13% due to higher demand from China.
Japan has a unique and exclusive take on farming; as stress creates cortisol which can deteriorate the quality of beef, Japanese farmers go to extreme lengths to ensure a stress-free environment for their cows. This includes noise levels controls, a fresh supply of water, keeping cows away from others they don’t get along with, and are kept on open-air farms where they can be carefully monitored every four hours.