Wagyu is surrounded by myths and folklore, regarding how the cows are raised and what gives the meat its distinctive melt in the mouth texture.  We recently had the pleasure of a seven course degustation meal which showcased Wagyu for fine dining. The producers of Raging River Wagyu enlightened us about the breed and explained why the meat is so different from non Wagyu competitors.

It seems that some of the myths have a basis in the history of the breed. They most certainly are a pampered breed and the Japanese have in years gone by massage their cows and feed them sake and beer, but this is not what makes the Wagyu meat special.  The breed itself, if raised in an optimum environment has a particularly highly marbelled meat.  The intense marbelling fans the meat fibres through the interconnecting muscle tissue giving the meat its flavour and melt in the mouth texture.  

               Wagyu Bruschetta with Caramalised Onion and Brie - Horizon's Restaurant

Now, before we start getting too worried about the fat content of the meat I should mention that the fat is not a saturated fat as we would find in other beef but a mono-saturated fat which actually aids in cholesterol reduction.

As with any product there are different grades of Wagyu.  The grading is dependent on whether the Wagyu is a pure bred or an Angus cross (F1).  The difference in the meat will be noticed in the level of marbelling in the cut of meat.  The beef is graded based on the marble score.  A cross bred Wagyu will only usually manage a marble score of 4-6 where as a pure bred Wagyu will be hoping for a 9 or 9 plus marble score.  It is a very important difference when you consider the taste and texture is directly related to the fat marbelling.

So where can you try genuine Australian pure bred Wagyu?

Contact Raging River Wagyu for a list of suppliers and restaurants supporting our home grown pure bred Wagyu.