Wagyu Beef - It's not always about Kobe Beef

When you think of Wagyu Beef, you might think of how the cattle was fattened up with beer or Mozart playing in the barn 24/7 to relax the tense muscles. Or you might think of how expensive each slice is. Wagyu is a culture in itself with the ritual of going to a butcher to buy yourself one of the most expensive meat in the world to bringing it home, and finally cooking it to perfection.

Wagyu originated in Japan and can be traced to specific breeds of cattle. Over generations of natural selection, each prefecture have their own special wagyu. Kobe beef is probably the most well-known but there are many more breeds and types of wagyu. I’ve had wagyu from Kobe, Sendai, and Miyazaki and all are very delicious in their own way. But how does one choose which wagyu is good? Unless you live in a big city, you might have a butcher that only stocks Wagyu from one area, and that is okay. Wagyu, not matter where it is located, are all good.

You might have heard of “A5” Wagyu. But what does “A5” mean? Wagyu is graded according to many criteria such as the amount of fat and marbling in the meat, and firmness and texture. The absolute top of the line is A5 quality, and the worst is in the C’s but it doesn’t mean it is the worst and inedible. As you can see in the photos, these are A5 Miyazaki and the marbling and percentage of flesh and fat are perfect. It almost resembles clouds swirling over a Martian landscape.

So how do you eat Wagyu? Many ways just like any other beef. You can purchase tenderloin, ribeye, and striploin and what type of cuisine depends on what cut of meat you want. One of my favourite is sukiyaki, a style of Japanese cooking where you simmer beef, vegetables, and mushrooms using a special sweet soy sauce. The fat melts instantly and absorbs all the juices and sauces in the pan.

So do you have to buy Japanese Wagyu? No, because other countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia have their own version and is much cheaper. So if you are on a budget and still want to experience Wagyu, these are good cheaper options. To ensure your Wagyu is certified, either ask the butcher where it is sourced, or look for a sticker which should show the location and even farm info. In some cases such as restaurants, they may even have the cattle’s certificate showing the name, age, weight, and a photo. To be honest though, I don’t want to know the meat I am eating is from Bessie and was 13 years old.

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Hi @Villagemayor

When I read your post my imagination is expensive beef as usually Wagyu beef .ahaha…

I tested Wagyu beef in past year before pandemic spread here

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1NfqmfttCVBogPkT8

taste so perfect but in that time I don’t know type of Wagyu beef , that’s kobe beef or no .

Thanks again for sharing knowledge about Wagyu beef . Looking for your next post

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Thank you @Nyainurjanah ! Having wagyu is an experience and not something you can eat everyday. Even if you have a big wallet, the amount of fat and cholesterol would break you haha.

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