Extensive fat marbling in slices of high-grade Wagyu beef

A Wagyu bull

Wagyu beef served at a restaurant in Kobe

Wagyu (和牛, wagyū^?) refers to several breeds of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. Beef cattle are Cattle raised for Meat production (as distinguished from Dairy cattle) Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Marbled meat is meat especially Red meat, which contains various amounts of Intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to a marble pattern An unsaturated fat is a Fat or Fatty acid in which there are one or more Double bonds in the fatty acid chain Also known as Kobe-style beef, the meat from Wagyu cattle is known worldwide for its marbling characteristics, increased eating quality through a naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and thus a high market value. refers to Beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan Grocery stores in the United States will sell cuts of American Wagyu for $40/lb to $150/lb (€26/kg to €100/kg).

Because of the Wagyu cattle's genetic predisposition and special diet including beer and sake,^[1] wagyu yields a beef that contains a higher percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids^[2] than typical beef. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that n −6 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−6 fatty acids or omega-6 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids The increased marbling also improves the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats. For discussion how dietary fats affect cardiovascular health see Diet and heart disease. Saturated fat is Fat that consists of Triglycerides containing only saturated Fatty acids Explanation Fat that occurs

There are four major breeds of Wagyu (wa means Japanese, and gyū means cattle, or simply "Japanese cow"): Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Japanese, is the oldest recorded name of Japan. Chinese Korean and Japanese scribes regularly wrote Wa or Yamato "Japan" with the Japanese breed names include: Tajima, Tottori, Shimane, Kochi and Kumamoto.

History

America

In America, Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred to Angus cattle to create a crossbred animal that would be more able to survive the US climate and ranching methods. This crossbreed has been named American Style Kobe Beef and was originally produced for export to Japan but is now available world-wide.

Designed to mimic the diet that Japanese cattle were receiving, Wagyu cattle in the United States are fed a mixture of corn, alfalfa, barley and wheat straw. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Straw is an agricultural By-product, the dry stalk of a Cereal plant after the Grain or Seed has been removed

As of 2007 the U. S. cannot ship Wagyu beef to Japan as Japan requires that beef imported from the U. S. be from cattle not older than 20 months (Wagyu cattle are usually slaughtered at 30–35 months). ^[3]

Australia

Wagyu and Wagyu infused cattle are bred in Australia for many overseas markets including Japan, Korea, U. S. , Hong Kong, Middle East and EU. Although they number less than 100,000 of the 28. 8 million head of cattle in the country but due to the long fed nature of the Wagyu production system, it had resulted in over 40% of feedlot space in any given 12 month period which for a single breed is quite significant. With the continuing drought, increased commodity prices and high Australian dollar are putting pressure on producers, feedlotters, processors and exporters to keep their costs down. Wagyu F1 cattle which commanded a significant premium 12 months ago have eased somewhat in recent months. Wagyu cattle in Australia are fed on grain for the last 500 days of production.

See also

• Fukutsuru
• Tajima cattle
• Akaushi cattle
• Kobe beef
• Matsusaka beef
• Mishima beef
• Omi beef (The beef from Shiga Prefecture)
• Marbled meat

References

1. ^ Lucies Farm - specialists in Kobe Beef
2. ^ Condon, John. Fukutsuru or Fukutsuru 068 was a Wagyu bull shipped from Japan to Snake River Farms of Boise Idaho in the United States is one of the types of black Wagyu cattle in Japan Many tajima cattle are born in Hyōgo Prefecture and raised as stock for famous beef such as Kobe beef and is a Japanese Wagyu breed of Cattle. The Beef produced by Akaushi cattle is richly marbled with fat and produces a very tender flavorful expensive variety refers to Beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan is Wagyu (Japanese Beef) originating in the Matsusaka region of Mie, Japan. is a type of Beef produced in Japan that is much rarer than Kobe beef. Marbled meat is meat especially Red meat, which contains various amounts of Intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to a marble pattern "Good Fats Boost Wagyu Opportunities", Australian Wagyu Update, 2005-03. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways  
3. ^ http://www.wagyu.org/JapanLabeling01.doc

External links

Associations

• American Wagyu Association
• Australian Wagyu Association
• Canadian Wagyu Association
• European Wagyu Association

Additional information

• Cattle Today: Description of Wagyu cattle
• Wagyu Research and Information Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University
• "Breeding History of Japanese Beef Cattle...", Professor Kiyoshi Namikawa, Department of Animal Sciences, Kyoto University - Kyoto, Japan, circa 1985