What is Wagyu?

Wagyu is a beef cattle breed which refers to all beef cattle in Japan.

Their roots run deep in the Native Asian Cattle, where ‘Wa’ means Japanese and ‘gyu’ means cow. These animals were originally used in Japanese agriculture for their physical endurance as their intramuscular fat cells provided them with a consistent energy source.

Wagyu’s naturally have horns, but the Japanese have bred them with imported British and European breeds in the 1860’s which allowed them to introduce the polled or Shorthorn Wagyu.

There are four breeds that the Japanese consider as Wagyu and they are:

1. The Japanese Black, there are three main strains:

  • Tajima, they were used to pull carts and ploughs. Their forequarters were larger than their hindquarters and they were generally smaller built. These animals grew slower but their meat quality was superior.
  • Kedaka or Tottori, they were used in the grain industry as pack animals. These animals were the biggest of the three-black wagyu with their strong straight back lines and their good growth rates, but their meat quality varied.
  • Fujiyoshi, they are medium sized animals that breed well with Angus. Their meat quality is good and their growth rate is steady.  With their strong straight back lines and their good growth rates, but their meat quality varied.
  • Fujiyoshi, they are medium sized animals that breed well with Angus. Their meat quality is good and their growth rate is steady.

2. Akaushi (Japanese Brown):

There are two main strains namely Kochi and Kumamoto Reds. Brown Wagyu is known for its high fertility rate as well as their tendency to marble earlier, which means you don’t have to feed them as long as black wagyu. They also have a larger build due to the influence of the Simmental, Devon and Korean cattle which were used for breeding.

3. Polled Wagyu

These animals do not exist in the Japanese Fullblood Wagyu population. Breeders in Australia in well ahead in breeding up polled genetics from other polled cattle breeds like Angus. This is a timeous proses as it takes 4 generations of breeding before a purebred animal is delivered. These purebred animals still deliver promising carcase and marbling values.

4. Shorthorn Wagyu:

These animals are a similar case as for polled Wagyu accept, their foreign influence is from Shorthorn cattle, with Ayrshire and Devon contributions as well.

What makes Wagyu Beef so different you may ask?

When people talk about Wagyu meat, they mention the marbling. The marbling is thin fat specs that one sees within the meat. When the meat is prepared correctly these fat specs act as an internal basting, which leaves the meat soft, juicy and tender.

The marble score is determined by using a special camera that uses a video image to analyse the fat percentage in the carcass. This score ranges between one and ten, one being the least marble and ten being the most. The deposition of marbling in the meat usually starts when the animal is about 12 months of age, but will depend on the genetics used, and can go up until 36 months.

Wagyu meat is considered to be one of the healthiest meat options as its’ high in Monounsaturated fatty acid, thanks to the high Oleic acid levels, with little to no effect on cholesterol.

There are also studies that prove that Wagyu meat reduces the risk for cardiovascular diseases, so in short:

Wagyu meat has a high ratio monounsaturated fat to saturated fat

Lowers Cholesterol
Prevents coronary diseases
Helps with weight loss

High amounts of
Oleic acid

Great for the heart

High levels of Conjugated
Linoleic acid

Contributes to weight loss
Improves the immune system
Helps fight cancer
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes