For centuries, it was used mainly as a draught drink, and it was only more than 100 years ago that it came into the gastronomic spotlight. But then it was discovered that its meat was of unrivalled quality, fetching upwards of 100,000 forints a kilo. Here's the secret of the $400 wagyu!
A wagyu its unique meat structure is the result of its use as a draught animal. Its fat tissue is not deposited on the meat in a separate layer, but is woven through it like a cobweb. This has enabled it to store energy in its muscles to cope with the high physical demands.
Wagyu owes its success to foreigners
Although wagyu was rarely on the Japanese table, tourism and the arrival of foreigners to the island nation has changed the local eating habits. To meet the increased demand for meat, they realised the treasure of the black, pioneering cattle breed, whose ancestors came from 4 breeds. These were the Japanese Brown, Japanese Black, Japanese Shorthorn and Japanese Poll.
Special among the specialities is the wagyu from the area around Kobe, Hyogo province. Nowadays, the meat of wagyu beef from this region is the most expensive. It is therefore no wonder that it has become a protected designation of origin.
Legends and reality about pampering
And while they were once used as draught animals, there are now legends about the pampering these cattle receive. Some are given beer in the summer to increase their appetite, but there are also legends of how it is used to reduce stress. But there are also stories of cattle being mashed to increase their well-being. It is hoped that this will also improve the quality of the meat.
What is certain, however, is that since the breed has become so highly prized and extremely marketable, there are strict standards for its husbandry. The Wagyu turkeys graze on vast pastures and the calves are fed special feed to guarantee extra quality meat from the start. Calves usually change hands at auction and are sent to the slaughterhouse at 700 kilos. Their development is slow. While other Deer Saha calves are ready for slaughter at one and a half years of age, the Wagyu takes 3 years to reach slaughter weight.
No wonder why wagyu meat is so expensive! It's the time, energy, money and care that goes into raising and breeding them that makes the price so high.
But don't be surprised that it's not just Japan that exports wagyu. It is also grown in the UK, the US, Chile and Australia, but experts say that the quality of the wagyu is inferior to that from Japan.
Now produced on 3D printers
A year and a half ago, it was reported that Japanese researchers had succeeded in producing marbled Wagyu meat in the laboratory.
To do this, researchers at Osaka University used Wagyu bovine stem cells. The meat was produced in one piece, so that its characteristic marbling could be seen. But the time factor is a tricky part of the story here too! It can take three to four weeks to produce a cubic centimetre of meat.
