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Japanese Wagyu is the highest quality beef in the world. Nearly everyone has heard of "Kobe Beef", which comes from Wagyu. The highest grades of beef in Japan bring very large premium prices. I have heard of individual carcasses (about 1000 lb.) selling for as high as $20,000. This is about 10 times the price in the U.S. If you have ever had Shabu-Shabu, you know why the price is about $200 or more per serving.

Small amounts of Wagyu beef have been imported into the U.S. in recent years. A beef wholesaler in New York sells it for $106 per lb. The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas has a Wagyu steak dinner listed on the menu for $160.

Wagyu were developed in Japan about 100 years ago from native cattle, Korean cattle, and some European breeds. They were bred for many years as draft animals used for cultivation. Since the Japanese did not consume beef until after W.W.II, the primary selection process was geared for cattle that had readily available energy. This quick energy is supplied by small fat cells within the muscle tissue. The more fat cells, the more energy, for pulling a plow. These intermuscular fat cells are called marbling, which also is the component most responsible for taste and tenderness in beef. In the U.S., marbling is the best measure of quality in meat. Generally the higher the amount of marbling the higher the grade of meat.

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   Japan - Home of the Wagyu

So it was really by accident that the Japanese developed the best tasting, most tender beef in the world. Once they became aware of the demand for their unique product, the Japanese government determined that Wagyu was a National Treasure and could not be exported. This held true until 1976 when 4 Wagyu bulls mysteriously showed up in the U.S. These bulls were used to produce American Wagyu, upgraded from U.S. cattle. No other Wagyu were exported from Japan until 1993 when 5 animals left amidst considerable controversy.

Wagyu genetics have been exported from the U.S. to Australia and New Zealand where interest is high for exportation of beef to Japan. The interest is increasing rapidly and demand for Wagyu is very high in both countries.

The beef industry in the U.S. has strived to produce lean meat with little fat for the past 30 years. They have reached the objective to the level that we now have a lot of beef that is tough, dry and tasteless, and inconsistent in quality About 25 % of the time, a consumer has a less than desirable experience when eating steak. For this reason, the trend is now beginning for higher quality, tender, more tasteful beef. The problem is that we have bred out the meat quality genetics in existing cattle and it will take many years to up upgrade existing cattle herds.

The use of Japanese Wagyu genetics will dramatically increase meat quality even in the first cross. Therefore the demand for Wagyu genetics that will produce high quality beef for domestic consumption as well as for export has increased during the past 2 or 3 years in North America. Japanese Wagyu cattle are the best source of genetics in every market where quality is important.