American Wagyu

Wagyu is a breed of cattle originally raised in Kobe, the capital city of Japan’s Hyogo prefecture.

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

Mishima cattle

In several areas of Japan, beef is shipped with area names. Some examples are Kobe, Mishima, Omi and Sanda. There are five major breeds of Wagyu: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, Japanese Shorthorn and Kumamoto Reds.

Mishima cattle have the same characteristics to the Japanese Black founder cattle. Mishima Island cattle had never been influence by foreign breeds and were designated as a protected species in 1928. It is among the most highly prized beef in Japan.

The breed is named after tiny Mishima Island in the Sea of Japan, 40 m northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Mishima wild cattle on Mishima Island have never been crossed with modern European breeds.

The Mishima Island cattle have a brownish black coat and skin. They produce excellent meat for high marbling quality. The meat is richer and it has sought nuttiness.
Mishima cattle

Kobe beef

Kobe beef is considered by many to be the best type of beef available in the world. It is a highly specialized product.

In Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture, they pamper the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle with massages and a rich diet of grasses and grains.  During the sultry summer, they even feed them beer to stimulate their appetites.

In this indulgence creates highly marbled flesh with complex flavor and melting tenderness.

Wagyu cattle have a disposition to hold a higher percentage of omega 3 fatty acids. This fact is responsible for the marbled appearance of the meat, which not only functions as the trademark of Kobe beef, but also bestows upon the meat its distinctive taste.

Gourmet chefs worldwide prize Kobe beef for its full flavor, tenderness and the high amount of intramuscular fat, called ‘marbling’. In addition, the meat also is versatility when it comes to cooking. Whether raw, sautéed, grilled, fried the Kobe beef brings about some of the most delectable meals anyone could ever have.

Kobe beef is prohibitively expensive and importation from Japan is virtually impossible. The one essential rule concerning Kobe beef is that the Wagyu cattle must be slaughtered in the Kobe region of the country.
Kobe beef