Considered a national treasure, Wagyu (the name means ‘Japanese cattle’) yield the tender high-fat (but moderately cholesterol), delicacy better known among gourmets as Kobe beef.
Extreme marbling qualifies this particular beef for a top grading. The most desirable grade has 50 percent more marbling than American prime beef.
A breed of cattle first imported to North America in the late 1970s and often interbred with Blank Angus heifers. Any animal with a bloodline of 15/16ths or more of Wagyu blood can be considered full-blooded Wagyu.
American Wagyu is a more correct term for the beef, since it refers to the breed. The American Wagyu cattle crosses take longer to mature than other breed and are thus more expensive to raise.
The best producers feed their animals well - a natural diet including barley and hay.
USDA requires that the animal be at least 50 percent Wagyu and remain in the feedlot for at least 350 days to receive these designations.
American Wagyu
