Who says myths and rumors revolve around only politics and the celebrity world? There happen to be food myths as well! Wagyu beef is a term everyone is aware of, even if someone hasn’t had the pleasure of tasting this luxurious beef. Despite the popularity of this beef worldwide, some people still remain skeptical about eating it because of the popular myths circulating around. So we thought we would do some myth-busting!
Wagyu Beef Is Over Priced
If any beef is highly sought after and luxurious in the world, it’s the Wagyu beef! Only four breeds of cattle can produce authentic Japanese Wagyu beef, all of which are raised in Japan’s specific prefectures. The ranchers take special care of these cattle and pay attention to every detail in order to produce high-quality meat. The industry is implementing innovative traceability due to the increasing popularity of Wagyu beef around the world.
Eithers its kobe beef or Miyazaki, The Wagyu beef is given an overall beef quality score after it has been assessed through five very specific grading criteria. The highest quality Wagyu is graded as A5 Wagyu beef as in Grade A for yield and grade 5 in the remaining categories. The strict grading process ensures the beef’s consistency in both quality and authenticity. Thus, the Wagyu beef cannot be produced or graded the same way anywhere in the world, which makes it a one of a kind, reasonably expensive product.
Wagyu Beef Is Just Fat & Fat
The unique marbling on the Wagyu meat is what makes it so special. This marbling is created by intramuscular fat running throughout muscle fibers, which only occurs in Wagyu cattle with proper genes. The Wagyu cattle are fed a high-energy diet that supports intramuscular fat cell growth, which is why, unlike other regular forms of beef, the Wagyu contains a high amount of unsaturated fat and Omega 3s. Due to the high percentage of unsaturated fats, Wagyu beef has the lowest cholesterol levels, ultimately reducing the risk of heart diseases. The fat content in Wagyu beef is healthy for human body energy production and cell growth.
Wagyu Is The Same In All Regions
The Japanese Wagyu is produced using four different breeds of cattle: (Shorthorn, Black, Polled, and Brown). It is tracked via nose prints and Cattle ID numbers and goes through a strict grading system.
Australian Wagyu is raised the same way, but the cattle are often crossbred. The cattle are often offspring of the full-blooded and domestic breed, i.e., Red or Black Angus.
American Wagyu is crossbred with Black Angus as well. American and Australian Wagyu will not have the same marbling, texture, and taste as Japanese Wagyu due to crossbreeding and region-based diets.
Myths: Busted!
We hope we have debunked the most popular myths about Wagyu beef. However, you can always find out true facts about the Wagyu beef by asking questions from us at Fine Wagyu. We deal in authentic and genuine Japanese Wagyu beef.