What is Wagyu?

Japanese beef, or “wagyu” is arguably the best and most expensive beef money can buy. With its exceptional marbling, superior tenderness and exquisite flavor, it’s no wonder Wagyu is the pinnacle of the beef world.

Through careful genetic selection and feeding, Wagyu producers can create an experience for connoisseurs unmatched by any other beef. From executive chefs to the weekend barbecue fan, Wagyu offers a level of quality that can be enjoyed by everyone. And with its proven health benefits, choosing Wagyu isn’t just a treat for your taste buds, it’s great for your heart as well.

Wagyu comes from four breeds of domestic cattle: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn, and Japanese Polled cattle. These breeds come from native Japanese cows that were crossed with Western cattle in the early 20th century and then selectively bred over several generations to maximize their organic unsaturated fat. This gives wagyu beef its world-famous marbling, which is high in healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that have a sweet rather than greasy taste and some serious umami flavor. In addition to these genetic factors, wagyu cattle are raised with special attention to their environment and feed, resulting in premium beef.

Wagyu is now raised and bred in varying degrees of purity across the globe, with Wagyu International estimating there to be 3 million Wagyu of 50% genetics or higher in the world. Japan remains home of the largest number of Wagyu, followed by Australia and the United States.

Wagyu Grades

Tender, marbled Japanese wagyu beef is recognized world-round for its extremely high quality, which must meet stringent industry standards for marble content, smell, color and brightness, texture and firmness of the meat, and quality of the fat. The beef is graded on two scales, one for the amount of meat yielded (from A-class to C-class), and one for the quality of marbled fat (from 1 to 5). The very best wagyu beef is grade A-4 or A-5.

Australia uses the AUS-MEAT grading system which ranges from 0 to 9, with 9 being the best. This subjective analysis considers quantity of Intramuscular Fat (IMF, aka marbling) along with distribution and texture of the fat. Australian Fullblood Wagyu averages a 6.8 on this scale, with a 29.2% IMF. Australian F1 Wagyu averages a 4.7 AUS-MEAT sore with an IMF percentage of 19.3%.

Try it! You won’t be disappointed

Japanese Wagyu beef is highly sought after and for good reason. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any other steak that has exceptional marbling and as flavourful as Wagyu. However, Australian and American Wagyu shouldn’t be dismissed as they have their own unique taste profile and serve as an excellent substitute for Japanese Wagyu.

At Montréal Premium Steaks, we are proud to offer the best offerings of Wagyu beef from around the world. Try it today to experience the difference for yourself.