Wagyu changes beef. While many beef cattle breeds produce very good meat, Wagyu prepares a special culinary experience. It is the composition of several factors that makes Wagyu meat so unique:
– The intramuscular fat in the meat (marbling) provides a unique juiciness when eaten. The low melting point of the fat also contributes to this.
– The fineness of the marbling ensures the right composition of fat and meat when consumed.
– The fat composition is very special – it contains a very high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), which provide a very special flavour
– The meat itself has very fine muscle strands, which provides a tender, but at the same time firm bite
As the philosopher Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. So it is with Wagyu beef! This ensures that this originally Japanese product is now an integral part of top gastronomy worldwide and is enjoying increasing popularity among consumers. The trend towards less meat, but of a better quality, also contributes to the high level of attention.
This growing demand provides good sales opportunities. Therefore, the Wagyu market is interesting for both breeders and meat producers
“Particularly with Wagyu, it’s got such a beautiful
flavour. It’s so rich and fat that you don’t need to mask it with spice rubs or
marinades. You should just cook the meat simply, let the meat speak for itself.
It is best left clean and pure.”
Pete Goffe-Wood (Food Alchemist/Kitchen
Cowboy), Cape Town, South Africa
“I have the privilege of working with Wagyu daily. We are one of the few restaurants in the world that raises full blood Wagyu on our own farm where we respect and embrace the Japanese tradition. By being closely connected with our farm, I have learned to fully appreciate Wagyu from birth to finish.
In America, most beef served in restaurants comes from boxed beef where Chefs buy specific cuts. In contrast, we embrace a “nose to tail” philosophy utilizing all parts of the Wagyu from its delicious, tender, healthy meat, to also utilizing fat, bones, and hides. Wagyu is unlike any other beef or protein that I have worked with and offers many menu possibilities. We have created over 20 center of the plate Wagyu preparations using techniques of sous vide, grilling, roasting, braising and curing.
While Wagyu is our most expensive menu item, it represents 85% of our entrée sales. It is the star of our show and is responsible for us achieving many culinary awards and a distinctive reputation as a culinary destination in America.
Wagyu makes my job exciting, challenging, and adventuresome and when I need a break from the kitchen, I enjoy time on the farm.”
Marcus Daniel, Executive Chef
Joseph Decuis, Roanoke, Indiana USA
“I have been involved with the Wagyu breed for over 35 years. It started with my training in Japan in 1985. Later with Gary Yamamoto and two other wagyu beef companies. I have been working with every aspect from the raising to the harvest, fabricating, and the cooking of wagyu beef. I find it to be a superior product better than any other beef on the planet. Mainly because of its health benefits of the two monounsaturated and saturated fats, good LDLs, and its high cloridict content, to the mouth-watering buttery flavor profiles that gives the meat its tenderness.
I look forward to cooking it everyday!”
Chef Michael Scott
America
“I grew up in a traditional butcher shop and my family has been raising cattle for as long as I can remember. I almost freaked out the first time I tried Wagyu beef! I had never eaten anything so tender, tasty and incredibly good before. It was like from another planet. I have been breeding these animals myself for 15 years and process them myself in my own factory and restaurant. There is simply no better meat!”
Chef Lucki Mauerer
Germany
“Wagyu is Decadent, flavorsome, Rich often Buttery with loads of Umami, these characteristics work in the favor of the Chef, very little is required to extract the best qualities from Wagyu.Every time we cook Wagyu we are surprised by the versatility and the uniqueness of WagyuAn added advantage is how healthy and nutritious Wagyu can be when prepared with care.“
Chef Terry Jenkinson
Namibia
“What was once a breed and product specific to the Japanese market, Wagyu is now very much part of the culinary scene is Aoeteroa, New Zealand. As with French vintners now visiting us to explore out methods for producing some of the finest and highly regarded Pinot Noirs on the planet, I believe it will only be a matter of time before international producers will be visiting NZ to understand more about how we produce Wagyu here. I believe our Wagyu products are starting to punch well above their weight. Why? Happy, grass fed cows who roam and are reared in some of the most beautiful parts of NZ coupled with an often obsessive focus on genetics to improve intramuscular fat content and muscle structure. There are some grain fed and grain finished products which are also exceptional, but the pure grass fed Wagyu is what I believe makes NZ Wagyu unique. The future is exciting and the NZ Wagyu journey has really only just begun…”
Pit Master Noel Hassapladakis
New Zealand
British Wagyu Conference Farm-To-Fork
In May 2023, 250 people attended the two-day Warrendale Wagyu Conference in Telford, Shropshire, UK, held in partnership with the British Wagyu Association & Wyndford Wagyu.
Welcoming retailers, processors and a strong line-up of UK and international speakers as well as both current and prospective farmer partners, the event was staged by the East-Yorkshire family farming business, Warrendale Wagyu, who run a fully integrated Wagyu beef supply chain.
