history
Wagyu beef is seen throughout the world as special and is treated as a delicacy.
Wagyu originate in Japan. The cattle have developed in isolation. The word Wagyu translates literally as Japanese Cow and is used to refer to four different breeds of cattle:
Japanese Black
Japanese Brown
Japanese Polled
and Japanese Shorthorn
It is the Japanese Black breed that produces the world’s most marbled beef.
There is a lot of excitement around the production of Wagyu and their history.
Beef was not consumed in Japan due to Buddhist influences in the country. Wagyu were traditionally used to work the fields and cultivate rice.
Towards the second half of the 19th century, Japan started to open up and modernise and it was around this time that beef began to be consumed.
The history of the cattle as work animals means that they are bred for stamina and this selection pressure has led to animals of high stamina being preferred.
Wagyu have evolved to lay down lots of healthy fat in the muscle as an energy store.
The first Japanese farmers to breed Wagyu for beef recognised that this fat in the muscle, known as marbling, led to beef that tasted exceptional.
For the last 100 years, Japanese farmers have been continually selecting and breeding those animals that produce the most marbled beef.
One region in Japan famous for producing the best Wagyu beef is Kobe, close to Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan. Kobe beef is produced from the Japanese Black variety.
On top of careful breeding, the animals are fed secret diets, and it is suggested they are massaged and given beer to stimulate appetite in the summer months.
The resulting beef is scored in terms of its marbling on a scale of 1 -12, with lean beef scoring a 1 and 12 being awarded to beef that is more white than red. No other breed is able to achieve marbling to this level.
Not only does it taste good, but it is healthy too.
The marbling increases the levels of Omega 3 and 6, important for brain development, in the beef to levels beyond other breeds and also improves the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats.
To sum up, Wagyu cattle have a unique history and development that produces beef of unrivalled quality.
Wagyu originate in Japan. The cattle have developed in isolation. The word Wagyu translates literally as Japanese Cow and is used to refer to four different breeds of cattle:
Japanese Black
Japanese Brown
Japanese Polled
and Japanese Shorthorn
It is the Japanese Black breed that produces the world’s most marbled beef.
There is a lot of excitement around the production of Wagyu and their history.
Beef was not consumed in Japan due to Buddhist influences in the country. Wagyu were traditionally used to work the fields and cultivate rice.
Towards the second half of the 19th century, Japan started to open up and modernise and it was around this time that beef began to be consumed.
The history of the cattle as work animals means that they are bred for stamina and this selection pressure has led to animals of high stamina being preferred.
Wagyu have evolved to lay down lots of healthy fat in the muscle as an energy store.
The first Japanese farmers to breed Wagyu for beef recognised that this fat in the muscle, known as marbling, led to beef that tasted exceptional.
For the last 100 years, Japanese farmers have been continually selecting and breeding those animals that produce the most marbled beef.
One region in Japan famous for producing the best Wagyu beef is Kobe, close to Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan. Kobe beef is produced from the Japanese Black variety.
On top of careful breeding, the animals are fed secret diets, and it is suggested they are massaged and given beer to stimulate appetite in the summer months.
The resulting beef is scored in terms of its marbling on a scale of 1 -12, with lean beef scoring a 1 and 12 being awarded to beef that is more white than red. No other breed is able to achieve marbling to this level.
Not only does it taste good, but it is healthy too.
The marbling increases the levels of Omega 3 and 6, important for brain development, in the beef to levels beyond other breeds and also improves the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats.
To sum up, Wagyu cattle have a unique history and development that produces beef of unrivalled quality.