If we talk about the best beef ever, Wagyu beef is a preferred choice of many. It’s not only the tastiest but also the world’s most expensive beef. Currently, its cost is somewhere around $200 per pound.
People who have tasted it believe it’s worth spending money for. But what makes this beef so expensive?
Its rich flavors, intense marbling, and rarity make it one of the most pricey kinds of beef.
But these aren’t the only reasons why Wagyu beef is the world’s most costly beef. In today’s blog, we will discover the rest of them. Here’s the list of topics we will understand.
- What is Wagyu beef?
- Reasons why Wagyu beef is so expensive
- Is Wagyu beef worth spending money on?
- Final verdict
Excited to learn about Wagyu beef? Let’s not make you wait for long and jump straight to our first topic. Here we go!
What is Wagyu Beef?
Wagyu is a Japanese term where ‘Wa’ means ‘Japanese’ and ‘gyu’ means cow. However, it doesn’t mean Wagyu beef is derived from any local Japanese cow. There are special breeds of cows used for Wagyu beef.
Those are carefully selected and undergo multiple genetic tests where the best cows are shortlisted. Their beef’s quality becomes superior because of various genetic experiments. Being high quality, this beef’s taste is indeed better than its competitors.
When it comes to cattle, there are only four breeds used for Wagyu beef, including Japanese Shorthorn, Japanese Polled, Japanese Brown, and Japanese Black. In the United States, Japanese Black is primarily used for Wagyu beef.
This was everything about how Wagyu beef is produced. Besides, do you know why Wagyu beef is so expensive? Keep on reading to discover the reasons behind its expensiveness.
Reasons Why Wagyu Beef is So Expensive
Many factors contribute to the price of Wagyu beef. Following are the primary factors/reasons behind the high cost of this beef. Please go check them out!
Geography
Wagyu beef is originally from Japan, and it’s where the true Wagyu beef comes from. Do you know that Japan is seven times smaller than California? 80% of the available land in Japan is mountains.
Mountains offer the best environment to raise healthy Wagyu cattle. From food to nature’s shelter, there’s everything they need to grow healthy. Higher quality Wagyu beef is derived from healthy cows.
Compared with the US, there aren’t many mountains to raise cattle. That’s why most of the Wagyu beef is imported from Japan, and Japanese Wagyu beef is considered premium quality.
Feeding Times
Another important factor that makes Wagyu beef so expensive is the cattle’s ‘feeding time.’ Compared to other cattle, Wagyu cows are fed and raised for longer. An average pack of cattle is fed for approximately 30 months before slaughter.
These cows need to eat double the amount of food than other cows. The more they eat, the healthier and fatter their muscles will develop.
Since they are fed for a long time, their rearing cost is high. It’s the reason why Wagyu beef’s price is so high in the market.
Security
Raising Wagyu cows is a tradition in Japan, carried forward for decades. A few years back, it was hard to identify fraudulent Wagyu beef. It’s because the technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now.
However, things have changed a lot with time. Today, manufacturers use advanced tech to separate their premium Wagyu beef from low-quality ones. But how do they do that?
At birth, every Wagyu cow is assigned a 10-digits identification number. Moreover, their noses’ prints are also taken and stored in a database. All of this is done to create an original identity of the real Wagyu beef.
This helps consumers to avoid purchasing unhealthy and fake Wagyu beef. Besides, the technology used for security purposes is expensive. This results in a steep increase in Wagyu beef’s price.
These reasons justify the high cost of Wagyu beef. However, we have heard so many times that expensive things are always worth the money. So is it true in the case of Wagyu beef too? Let’s find out!
Is Wagyu Beef Worth Spending Money On?
There are many ways to make cheap meat taste great. So is there a need to spend on Wagyu beef? Yes, it’s definitely worth it.
A cheap beef won’t give the same taste as Wagyu beef. For starters, the fat present in this beef tends to melt at a lower temperature. It’s why when you eat it, it will literally melt in your mouth.
Moreover, this fat is responsible for making the beef ultra juicier than regular steaks. It also gives that beef an ultra-rich and buttery flavor. Also, Wagyu beef contains high levels of fatty acids; therefore, its aroma is more appealing than other beef.
Many people ask that if Wagyu beef is so tasty, why don’t steakhouses offer big portions? It’s because this beef tastes best when eaten in small portions, 3-4 ounce portions, for example.
If you eat a huge piece of Wagyu beef, it’ll surely overload your taste buds. Besides, you invest a good amount of money in this beef, so appreciating each bite becomes important. So now you know why restaurants provide small pieces of Wagyu beef instead of large portions.
Final Verdict
In today’s blog, we have shared all the reasons why Wagyu beef is the world’s most expensive beef. Its delicious taste justifies its price. If you haven’t eaten this beef yet, you should definitely consider trying it out.
Believe us; it’s worth your money. Eat Wagyu beef and satisfy your taste buds!
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