Wagyu

Wagyu (和牛) is a breed of cattle genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a high percentage of oleaginous, unsaturated fat. Wagyu are known world wide for marbling characteristics. This improved marbling increases the eating quality of the meat; enhancing the flavor, tenderness and juiciness of the meat. The increased marbling improves the ratio of mono-unsaturated fats to polysaturated fats.

There are four major breeds of wa-gyu (wa means Japanese and gyu means cattle): Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Japanese Kobe beef is from Tajima-ushi, which is a type of Japanese Black.

External links

• European Wagyu
• Wagyu and Kobe Beef information
• Washington State University Department of Animal Sciences: Wagyu
• American Wagyu Association
• Wagyu cattle