Wagyu

Wagyu (Japanese: 和牛, Hepburn: wagyū, lit. 'Japanese cattle') is not the name of a single cattle breed. Today, the term usually refers to four established Japanese breeds of beef cattle: the Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Historically, it was also used for native Japanese cattle; the surviving Mishima and Kuchinoshima cattle populations are not included among the four modern breeds. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, these breeds were developed from regional native cattle crossed with imported stock. The timing of crossbreeding and the imported breeds involved varied by breed and region. The resulting cattle were later established as distinct breeds through selection and closed breeding. The Japanese Black accounts for more than 90% of Wagyu cattle raised in Japan and is the main source of the highly marbled beef commonly associated with Wagyu. Its beef has finely distributed intramuscular fat known as sashi, a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, and a distinctive sweet aroma that develops during cooking. The other three breeds generally produce less heavily marbled beef. Regional names such as Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, Ōmi beef, and Yonezawa beef refer to brands defined by geographical origin and production or quality standards, not to additional cattle breeds. In Japan, beef carcasses are graded separately for meat yield and meat quality. In Japan, labeling guidelines introduced in 2007 recommend that the designation Wagyu be used only for beef from cattle documented as one of the four breeds or specified crosses between them and confirmed as having been born and raised in Japan. Beginning in the 1970s, cattle and genetic material exported from Japan formed the basis of Wagyu herds in the United States and Australia. Breed associations in both countries maintain their own herdbooks and DNA-based parentage-verification systems, registering cattle according to their documented...