What is Wagyu
Japanese Wagyu meat
– the most exquisite type of marbled beef, which is less common than others. Due to special feeding and housing conditions, intramuscular fat is distributed in such a way that it forms a pattern reminiscent of marble. Thanks to this, the meat becomes very tender in structure and requires minimal heat treatment.
Wagyu itself
translated means "Japanese cow". This concept includes not one, but four breeds that have a genetic predisposition to increased marbling: black, brown, hornless and shorthorn. Bulls are bred using special technologies that require a certain lifestyle and a strictly balanced diet.
The bulls are free-grazing, which ensures strong and healthy offspring. Newborn calves are not separated from their mother, but feed on natural milk until 6-7 months of age.
Then they are transferred to plant-based feeding with grain, grass and rice straw
, which plays a critical role in the formation of marbling and makes the fat light.
The optimal duration of grain feeding is at least 400 days
.
All this time, the bulls live in comfortable conditions and feel great. To gain weight and properly distribute the layers of fat, they are gradually limited in movement, and to improve blood circulation and the quality of meat, they are regularly massaged
.
To improve digestion, sake and expensive beer are added
. An important condition is the absence of stress, which negatively affects the quality of beef, so the bulls are even included in the works of classical composers!
After cutting, the meat is left to ripen for at least two weeks at a temperature of +2-4 degrees. During this time, it becomes even more tender, aromatic and juicy.
Description of Kobe beef
Marbled meat has about 120 varieties. Each of them is named after the village in which it is produced. By the way, it is called that because when cut it looks like a stone mottled with veins. This effect is achieved due to the presence of thin layers of fat in muscle tissue. They give the beef its amazing lightness and juiciness. The source of the marbled product is the meat of young bulls. This results in a low connective tissue content in beef, which contributes to the taste quality of tenderness. As mentioned above, they are grown using special technology. There is even a saying about kobe that says that this meat does not require teeth.
Typically, a Japanese chef will cook Kobe beef on a large stove in front of diners. The meat is fried in vegetable oil with the addition of spices and sesame seeds.
You can also find a dish called sukiyaki nabe in restaurants. It is served with bean curd, raw egg, vegetables and noodles. The cook himself only prepares the ingredients, and the guests cook thin slices of meat in a pan with weak broth.
The most important criterion for Kobe beef is its marbling. In another way, it can be called the quality of the intermuscular fat layer. Let's look at this in more detail below.
Features of Japanese marbled beef
For the most part, Wagyu beef consists of light cream-colored fat, completely riddled with rich red layers of meat. It has a special sweet aroma with notes of coconut and peach. It manifests itself most strongly when heated to a temperature of 80 degrees.
and saturates the steak through and through, preserving its taste even after cooling.
During cooking, the fat melts, making the meat especially soft and tender. Therefore, the more fat layers, the more expensive the cut is
.
Marbled Wagyu beef is superior to other breeds not only in tenderness and taste, but also in beneficial properties. Its fat not only does not harm the body, but also has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Absolutely everyone can eat such meat – from small children to the elderly.
It is rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids, which prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and remove carcinogenic substances from the body. Marbled beef also contains B vitamins, amino acids and microelements, which improve hematopoietic processes, increase hemoglobin and immunity.
Specialists of the online store "Gurmanin"
Wagyu is suitable for preparing classic steak and other dishes. A traditional Japanese dish made from marbled beef is sukiyaki with tofu, mushrooms and vegetables, which is usually eaten during the cooking process. Another original option is to dip thinly sliced strips in boiling water for a few seconds, dip in raw egg yolk and serve immediately.
How are the letter designations at the cut site deciphered?
Thus, class A includes the softest pieces of the front part of the thick edge. That is, this type is considered the best.
Class B includes pieces of thick and thin edges from the middle of the carcass. They are used for steaks.
Class C product is the toughest. This includes the back of the thin edge. This type of product is usually used in the preparation of tartare and carpaccio.
In the US, the beef quality scale is based on regular meat. The marble appearance of the product exceeds the Prime class standards. For this reason, farmers came up with their own scale, which depends on the marbling of the meat. Thus, it is customary to distinguish between silver (about 13%), black (20%) and gold (highest, more than 23%) categories of Kobe beef.
How is Kobe different from Wagyu?
Kobe
– an elite variety of Japanese marbled beef, which is produced from bulls of the Tajima variety, which are a black breed. Animals must be born strictly in Hyogo Prefecture, and further feeding and slaughtering also takes place within this region. The process is regulated, the meat undergoes strict selection, and before delivery to stores and restaurants, each cut is assigned an individual ten-digit code.
The Kobe brand itself was registered in 1983. Essentially, this meat is the same as Wagyu.
, the only difference is that a specific prefecture thus protected its rights to the products. As an example, we can cite champagne: the French claim that only drinks produced in the Champagne region can be called this way, although there is practically no difference between them and other sparkling wines. The same goes for Kobe.
The carcass weight of a Kobe steer is 230-470 kg and must be slaughtered at 13-36 months of age. In accordance with the Japanese classification, meat has a marbling grade of at least 4 and category A or B. Indicators such as color, saturation and shade, structure and shine of fat are subject to verification. Kobe price
exceeds the cost of regular Wagyu meat by about 1.5 times.
How is cattle raised?
Proper nutrition for Wagyu is natural food and the absence of artificial additives. Their diet includes corn and barley. They are the ones that have the property of imparting that same white color to the product.
Diet is considered one of the main criteria for obtaining Kobe beef. This type of meat is formed only with a uniform increase in the weight of the animal. Marbling also depends on the age of the cattle. To obtain Kobe beef, calves that are not yet thirty months old are not slaughtered. Because calves initially produce only subcutaneous fat, and then intramuscular fat.
Marbled Kobe beef has gained worldwide fame. But, unfortunately, it is difficult to bring it out of Japan, since the residents are quite “greedy” with their products. For this reason, this type of meat is now bred in the USA. The product can also be found in Australia and New Zealand.
But the residents of these countries have different opinions on how to raise cattle.
The Japanese believe that wagyu should be raised only in closed stalls, while the Americans believe that the best product is obtained when kept on pasture.
The latter representatives marbleize meat and other breeds of animals.
Wagyu suppliers in Russia
The only official supplier
Japanese Wagyu beef in Russia – . We have concluded an official agreement with the largest producer of marbled beef, Kagoshima, and have all the necessary permits for the export and trade of the product.
Our operating principles:
- Our own delivery service
- we will deliver your order in Moscow or St. Petersburg on the day of your request or the next. - Blast freezing
- technology allows you to preserve the impeccable taste and all the useful components contained in meat. - Premium products
- we offer only Kagoshima Wagyu A5 meat with the highest degree of marbling. - Guarantees
- before making a purchasing decision, you can familiarize yourself with the quality and appearance of the product.
Whether you want to plunge into the world of unsurpassed taste and try the famous Japanese steak, or are planning to expand your restaurant menu by adding new delicious dishes, we always have great offers for you.
How to grow
Gourmet meat cannot be cheap. The high cost of marbled beef is due to two factors: the complexity and duration of raising bulls.
In Japan, calves are fed milk from birth until six months. Grown calves are grazed freely in the meadows. Several months before slaughter, bulls are suspended on belts so that they move less and do not lie down. At this time, the bulls are fed a high-calorie mixture of barley, corn, alfalfa and wheat straw.
Since animals are reluctant to eat in the humid and hot climate of Japan, they are fed beer. During this rearing period, the bulls are massaged to classical Japanese music. It is under such conditions, according to the Japanese, that “marble” veins are formed in the meat of bulls.
The minimum duration of raising Wagyu bulls to produce high-quality marbled beef is 30 months. The gold standard for the duration of the stage of grain-fed bulls before slaughter is 200-300 days.
Degrees of marbling
The cost of marbled beef depends on the degree of marbling. The more small grains and veins of fat in the muscle, the higher the degree of marbling. In Japan, there are five categories of marbled meat:
- fifth category - marbled meat of the highest quality, which only goes to elite restaurants in Japan;
- the fourth and third categories are soft, darkish marbled meat, which is often purchased by European and Asian restaurants;
- the second and first categories are the most affordable Kobe beef. Due to the fact that marbled meat of similar quality from Argentinean and Australian producers is cheaper, Japanese beef of these categories is not in great demand among restaurateurs.
In the USA, there are also five categories of beef marbling: prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, which differ according to clearly formulated criteria. For the national American dish - steaks - only the first three categories of marbled meat are suitable. At the same time, the highest quality of them is prime category beef. In Australia, marbling is classified into 9 categories, with the ninth category being the highest quality.
