Japan 1868
Journey from Afar
Until 1868 cattle in Japan were used only as beasts of burden, cultivating the rice fields. Japanese Buddhist beliefs prohibited consumption of the meat from four-legged animals. However, during times of war soldiers were allowed to eat beef for increased strength and vigor.
When referring to beef, the word Wagyu is often used synonymously with Kobe. But actually the word Wagyu comes from “wa”, a very old term referring to Japan. One of meanings of “gyu” is beef. So Wagyu actually means “Japanese beef” and can refer to several breeds of cattle, known for producing highly-marbled beef that is tender and flavorful.
Present Day
Noticeably Wagyu
Genetics play a tremendous role in the world of Wagyu, especially when it comes to achieving that upper echelon of flavor. For example, Akaushi, one of the most popular breeds in America, not to mention one of the most delicious cuts of steak on our menu, has been heavily monitored to preserve the purity of its flavor. Breed lines of cattle are carefully traced, and tracked, and play a large role in determining a cow’s pedigree.
In fact, it is not uncommon for an animal to come with a descriptive history of its lineage. This careful monitoring helps protect the flavor, and over time, increase its marbling. The marbling, of course, refers to the streaks of fat that develop within the muscle, opposed to only on the outside. This fat slowly melts during the cooking process, giving the meat its rich, tender flavor.
Wagyu produce consistently marbled, low-cholesterol beef, recognized as the world's finest, unmatched in flavor, tenderness, and overall eating quality. The breed was closed to outside bloodlines in 1910, and ever since, the Japanese Wagyu Registry has monitored it closely and kept meticulous genetic and growth data on all cattle. Japan has even classified the Wagyu as a national treasure.
The
Future
Wagyu in Generations
Until fairly recently, the export of these cattle was strictly prohibited. In the 1970s four Wagyu cattle were allowed to come to America. Then in the 1990s a few more head gained entry and this trend has continued. Now there are several U.S. ranches (many in Texas) raising Wagyu. They follow the Japanese models for raising the cattle in wide-open pastures with lush green grass, fresh water and free-choice minerals. As they grow, the Wagyu cattle are introduced to a strict feeding regimen that involves seven different feed variations, based on the Japanese model. They are raised in a stress-free environment that contributes to healthy cattle and tasty beef.
Japanese Wagyu Vs. American Wagyu
When it comes to the top-tier of quality beef, one name that commonly stands at the top as the most superior cut of meat is none other than Wagyu. Every type of Wagyu actually originates from four different Japanese cattle breeds, namely the Japanese Black, the Japanese Brown, the Japanese Polled, and the Japanese Shorthorn; however, the legendary Wagyu that is so commonly referred to is notably known as Kuroge Washu Wagyu.
Raised using special techniques, Wagyu receives its extraordinary texture and delicious flavor from its “marbling,” which refers to the streaks of fat in the lean muscle of the meat. Due to how marbling affects the texture of Wagyu, each bite feels like it melts in your mouth. Along with the mouth-watering flavor and texture of Wagyu, it is well-known for its invigorating aroma, produced by the rich resources of the natural environment where the cattle are raised.
Many people will probably wonder: What is the difference between Japanese Wagyu and American Wagyu?
American Wagyu is genetically created by taking purebred Wagyu and cross breeding it with traditional beef cattle breeds. A popular breed to crossbreed Japanese Wagyu with is Angus Beef. This results in buttery marbling of Full-Blood Wagyu integrated with the robust beef flavor that American Wagyu is known for.
One of the reasons that there can be such a difference is also raising techniques. In Japan, in order to produce a beef as exquisite as Wagyu, specialty raising techniques are required. One of the most important factors when raising cattle to produce high-quality beef is the stress level of the cattle. Because of this, the living conditions in which cattle are raised for Wagyu beef in Japan are focused on maintaining the health and comfort of the cattle. By providing the cattle with high-grade rice plants, wheat, and hay, as well as guaranteeing that their sheds are clean and they have access to enough open space, not only are their needs met, but the cattle receive the highest quality of care and attention in order to ensure the best meat quality.
While these conditions might be met on some farms in America that raise Wagyu breeds or crossbreeds, many will not be regulated as intensely as they are in Japan. Since these raising conditions are actually extremely important for the quality of the meat, slight differences can produce vast changes in quality between Japanese Wagyu and American Wagyu.
In the end, the answer is simple. American Wagyu is an imitation of Japanese Wagyu. American Farmers simply crossbreed some of their breeds with high quality Japanese breeds giving rise to beef whose flavor is not exactly what one would find in Japan. Both are high quality options and you as the consumer have the choice to give in to which breed excites your palette this most!
How to Grade our Wagyu
Cowboy Wagyu Scale
Our product is rated on a separate scale, the Beef Marbling Standard (BMS), and given a score somewhere between 1-12 before our customers can convert it to the Japanese 1-5 scale or the Australian A1-A9 scale. In order to be rated A5 or A9 the marbling must score between 8-12 on the BMS scale. An A5 or A9 rating is extremely difficult to achieve. While the Japanese have perfected the grading standards for Wagyu over many centuries, the American Wagyu standards have been largely attempting to follow their lead
Japanese Scale
The Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) currently oversees the grading of Wagyu beef, much like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the beef from cattle in the United States. The USDA grades beef to ensure that it meets the standards that Americans expect when they purchase it. Wagyu grading is similar in that the JMGA gives a score for Wagyu beef based on its fat color, meat color, rib eye shape, size of ribeye area, and IMF%, which refers to its marbling.
The Japanese beef grading system gives Wagyu beef a grade from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5, the highest. Quality scores range from 1 to 12, and this score encompasses all the factors we just mentioned, like marbling and coloring. The final grade, 1 to 5, is based on the quality score as follows:
Wagyu beef Grade 12, then, would be the cream of the crop as far as Wagyu beef is concerned because it has both the highest quality score and the highest Wagyu rating.
The “A” specifically refers to the yield grade, which is different than the quality grade, which is always a number. Yield grade shows the cutability of the Wagyu cut, with a higher yield of quality meat resulting in the A grade. Grade A is given to cuts with a 72% or higher percentage yield, whereas B and C grades are for lower percentages.
Australian Grading System
The Australian grading system for Wagyu is very similar to the Japanese system. However, instead of going up to a quality score of 12, the Australian system only goes up to 9. The ranges of quality scores required to achieve a quality grade from 1 to 5 are also the same, but the Excellent rating only includes scores of 8 and 9. Grade A5 meat in Australia, then, is very similar to an A5 score given to Wagyu in Japan.
