“Almost all of that stuff is angus beef crossbred with Wagyu in an uncontrolled, unregulated, unspecified percentage of DNA,” Heitzeberg says. “ is still going to be crazy marbled with intense flavor, but it’s most likely Wagyu bred with angus,” Henderson says. In addition to the looser rating system and divergent cattle-farming techniques, the biggest difference between American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu is that Japanese Wagyu is purebred, where American Wagyu is crossbred. With Wagyu, the cow metabolizes the fat internally, so it’s integrated within the muscle.Īmerican (top three) and Japanese (bottom two) wagyu have different marbling patterns. Chances are, it’ll have a fat cap on its outside. No other livestock does that.” Think of your average piece of steak. “It has a genetic predisposition to create this crazy marbling of fat on inside of muscle tissue. Of those four breeds, one of the breeds is genetically unique,” Heitzeberg says. The luxury version of Wagyu we all want on our plates refers to a specific breed of Japanese cattle with special genetic qualities. Simply put, W agyu means Japanese cow, But the straightforward definition belies a subject riddled with misinformation.įor starters, it’s pronounced wah- gyoo, not wah- goo, a mispronunciation that’s common even among American Wagyu farms (and that admittedly tripped up even this intrepid reporter), says Heitzeberg.Īnd Wagyu isn’t an umbrella term for just any Japanese cow. Related: Buy the Holy Grail Steak’s ultimate Wagyu experience to enjoy at home What is Wagyu beef? If you purchase a product or service through a link in this story, we may receive a small commission. The editors of Robb Report scour the globe (and the Internet) for the best of the best and only endorse products we love-and think you’ll love, too. So what is Wagyu beef-and why does it taste and feel unlike any other steak you’ve ever had? We’ve gathered some of the foremost experts in restaurant industry to explain. Because of the prestige associated with Wagyu and the premium price it fetches (a pound can easily run in the triple-digits), some people throw around “Wagyu” and related terms as a marketing gimmick, even if what the purveyor is selling isn’t that luxury version. “There’s a lot of information out there that’s not accurate, mostly unintentionally, and perhaps some intentionally,” he says. Robert Oppenheimer Shook up Some Strange, Strong Martinis. New York’s Michelin-Starred Sushi Ginza Onodera Is Closing Here Are the 6 Restaurants With 3 Michelin Stars in California

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