What Is Wagyu Beef and Why Is It so Expensive?

Wagyu beef, the most exquisite meat in the world…

It is for sure you’ve seen “Wagyu Beef” on a restaurant menu, and the price of this meat was probably high!

Wagyū is a bovine breed originating in Japan. The name comes from the kanji (wa, which means “harmony” or, sometimes abbreviated, “Japan”) and (ushi or gyū, “cow” / “beef” / “veal”). The meaning is simply “Japanese cow”.

Wagyu bovine meat is one of the most select in the world due to its unique flavour, tenderness and juiciness characteristics.

The meat of this animal is identified by its characteristic marbling or fatty infiltration in the muscle fibres, which gives it a soft texture that seems to melt on the palate. Its aroma is unique and slightly sweet, and its flavour is intense and pleasant. For this reason, it is considered by many experts as “the best meat in the world”.

What makes Wagyu beef the most expensive beef in the world?

These animals have stained marbles or intramuscular fat cells, which makes their meat-rich, juicy, tender, and therefore more expensive and in higher demand. Wagyu fat melts at a lower temperature than other meats, resulting in a rich buttery flavour.

Wagyu beef is expensive due to the manner in which the cows were raised and slaughtered. The young cattle are fed milk by hand and grow up grazing on an open pasture.” According to AWA, Wagyu production is closely regulated by the Japanese government.