Recently there has been a lot of buzz around the term ‘Wagyu’ especially as it pertains to elevated dining experiences.
You regularly see the term attached to steaks, ground beef, and even by-product items like tallow. But what does Wagyu truly mean? How does this term relate to beef quality? What is the difference between Japanese Wagyu, American Wagyu, and Australian Wagyu?
Here I take a deep dive into the history of Wagyu, the types of Wagyu beef, and the current state of this very sought after beef product.
An example of a Japanese Black Wagyu breed of cattle.
A Brief Introduction Before We Get Into the Different Types of Wagyu Beef
The term Wagyu directly translates to “Japanese Cattle” with ‘wa’ meaning Japanese style and ‘gyu’ meaning cow or cattle.
Wagyu is not a specific breed but rather a classification of cattle that are of Japanese origin. The Wagyu classification includes four separate breeds that each serve their own unique purpose within dairy or beef production. Of these breeds Japanese Black and Japanese Brown are the two most common for meat production and are often referred to as Black Wagyu and Red Wagyu or Akaushi, respectively, with Japanese Black making up majority of Wagyu cattle raised.
Across the globe Wagyu cattle are revered for the high amounts of intramuscular fat, or marbling, that they have been bred to deposit. This extreme amount of marbling creates cuts of beef that can’t be evaluated on the USDA grading scale and becomes a product in a category of its own.
Along with intense marbling comes rich flavor profiles and extremely tender beef that warrant premium prices. In many ways Wagyu beef has become the go-to for superior beef eating experiences and is often enjoyed on special occasions as the most elite beef option that can be purchased. But there are different types of Wagyu beef to choose from.
A meat cutter (or butcher) slicing some raw beef marbled with fat.
A Brief Introduction to the Different Types of Wagyu Beef
When it comes to Wagyu not all products are created equal. In fact, not all ‘Wagyu’ products are even Japanese.
Wagyu has become a blanket term to define beef with marbling at levels higher than USDA Prime.
The cattle that produce this high-quality beef typically have Japanese genetics in some part of their lineage, but many products are not 100% Japanese Wagyu in origin.
American Wagyu
To go over a few of the different types of Wagyu beef briefly, American Wagyu, as an example, is produced from crossbreeding Japanese Wagyu and domestic beef cattle. The resulting beef is high quality and can be offered at a discount to traditional Japanese Wagyu.
Australian Wagyu
Australian Wagyu is another alternative to true Japanese Wagyu. These cattle originated in Japan but have been crossbred and raised in Australia very similar to the American Wagyu process. Beef from these animals is also available at a more attractive price point than true Japanese Wagyu. Because the percentage of Japanese Wagyu genetics in relation to native cattle genetics will differ among these crossbred animals, the amount of marbling will also differ.
So, while American Wagyu and Australian Wagyu are offered at a discount to Japanese Wagyu, the quality can also differ in some situations.
A raw steak highly marbled with fat, and as you know, fat equals flavor!
How the Different Types of Wagyu Beef are Graded
As previously mentioned, Wagyu beef contains more fat within the muscle, or marbling, than the USDA quality grade Prime, and therefore must be evaluated on a separate scale.
Japanese Wagyu grades are based on BMS or Beef Marbling Score which is the Japanese marbling scale. Beef marbling scores range from 1-12 with 1 being the worst score and 12 being the best score. Often more recognized among Wagyu consumers are Japanese quality grades which are designated by both a letter and number to represent red meat yield and marbling based quality grade.
A Letter and Number Scoring
The most referenced of these would be “A5” Wagyu which is the best yield (A) and quality (5).
American Wagyu is graded differently than Japanese or Australian because the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, is the official agency responsible for beef grading, and Wagyu beef has marbling more than the USDA Prime grade.
Looking for info on understanding beef quality grades? Check out this article I wrote.
Since the USDA doesn’t have a grading scale to assess Wagyu, each program would use their own scale, or house grades, to differentiate marbling levels. Typically, these house grades are made up of three levels and will coordinate with Japanese BMS numbers to make it easier for the consumer to convert between grades.
Australian Wagyu gets a bit tricky when it comes to grading. There are currently two systems used, Meat Standards Australia (MSA) and AUS-MEAT, with AUS-MEAT being the more popular system.
Both grading systems operate similarly to the Japanese and American Wagyu systems where a classification is assigned based on the percentage of intramuscular fat or marbling within the meat. Regardless of the grading system used, all scores can be compared on a level playing field.
Check out this gorgeous tender and juicy steak. More marbling means more flavor, which is what your guests will remember!
Which Types of Wagyu Beef Are a Good Fit For Your Menu?
Now that we understand the types of Wagyu beef available, where is Wagyu a good fit on your menu?
If you asked today’s consumer the answer would be just about anywhere. Wagyu beef can be found on quick service menus in the burger section, on fast casual menus as a steak entrée, and on fine dining menus served by the ounce. There truly is a Wagyu option for every budget and every menu.
Wagyu beef is a great addition to your menu. If you are interested in learning more about our Wagyu beef program, reach out to your local sales consultant. Find your location.
Article written by Kylie Philipps. She has been in the foodservice industry since 2017 and holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Animal Science, with a research focus in Meat Science. After talking to her, you will definitely walk away with more interesting meat knowledge than you started with!
Additional contributions by Lisa Brizard. She has been in the foodservice industry since 1995 and leverages her culinary experience with all things digital marketing for Sysco Corporation.
Follow Buckhead Meat and Seafood on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Contact your Sales Consultant about placing your next order. If you are not a customer, find out how to become one today!