Why is Japanese Wagyu so expensive?
A5 Japanese Wagyu is one of the most expensive types of beef you can buy, and it is prized for the marbling on the meat. The marbling on the meat refers to the lines of fat that appear on coveted cuts of steak. Generally you’ll find good marbling on Prime Ribeye in your local supermarkets. However, A5 Japanese Wagyu completely blows Prime Ribeye out of the water. For comparison, the USDA grading system mandates that USDA Prime beef must be at 8%-12% of marbled fat, while top quality A5 Wagyu contains 45%-60% fat. Although some might be concerned at the sheer amount of fat that’s in A5 Japanese Wagyu, the fat gives the wagyu an incredible taste and texture that you must experience at least once. If you are still concerned about the amount of fat, don’t be! Wagyu beef is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids’ these fats are believed to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
What exactly is Wagyu?
Wagyu comes from breeds of cattle that are native to Japan. According to the American Wagyu Association, the four major breeds of cattle used for wagyu are the Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. These breeds of cattle have meat that contains a higher ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat, making their meat have a unique and luxurious taste. Along with this, they are raised in a way that gives them a higher fat to meat ratio, which is why they have such beautiful marbling.
Why is it so expensive
Since the term wagyu just means “Japanese Cattle”, there is a vast range of beef that can be labeled as wagyu. However, not all wagyu is created equal; there are grades given to each cow which determine the quality of the meat. The best grade of wagyu is A5 wagyu where A refers to the Yield Grade, ranging from C-A, and 5 refers to the Meat Quality Grade, ranging from 1-5. Farmers who specialize in wagyu beef put a large amount of time and a great deal of effort into caring for these cows. On top of that, not all of the cattle will end up being A5 wagyu, and will sell for significantly less than the effort put into caring for them.
Along with the strict grading system that is put in place to make sure you are getting the best quality of beef, the cattle also have to be cared for in a specific manner and also fed a specific diet in order for to get the high fat content. In order for the cattle to achieve this high fat percentage, the farmers have to feed the cattle high calorie diets three times a day, which contributes to the price you pay. On top of that, in order to achieve the highest quality meat, the farmers must also make sure that the cattle live in a stress free environment so that they don’t tense up and affect the quality of the meat. This process of caring for the cattle takes around two to three years making wagyu a very labor intensive product, which contributes to the high price tag on wagyu beef.