What is Wagyu?
Wagyu is originally from Japan. Wagyu means Japanese cattle. There are 4 strains of Wagyu cattle in Japan, and two of them are to be found outside Japan with at total of 221 animals ever exported from Japan. Wagyu used to be a draft animal in Japan, before they realized how delicious they are to eat. Today we know Wagyu for their high concentration of marbling in the meat. The marbling provides a eating experience that is hard to come by in other products.
Japanese black
Japanese black is what we think of when talking about fullblood wagyu. Normally just called Black Wagyu. Black Wagyu stood for 188 of the 221 animals exported from Japan and is therefore the most common. With the finest marbling of strains, they are also the most used in Japan, around 90% of Wagyu raised and slaughtered are Japanese black.
Japanese Brown
Japanese brown also known as Akaushi is the other strain we have outside Japan. They are bigger than Japanese black, which for some farmers is a very desirable trade.
With only ever 33 animals exported, there are fewer total animals than Japanese black outside Japan.
Japanese polled
Japanese Polled, derives from Angus which was imported in 1920 into Japan. But were never exported again. This means we don’t have any fullblood Wagyu, with the polled gene, outside japan. We have therefore made the cross ourselves, to get Polled Wagyu outside Japan. There is been made a lot of effort into making, polled wagyu, that is true to Wagyu.
Japanese Shorthorn
Japanese shorthorn is the rarest in Japan with less than 1% being Japanese shorthorn and has never been exported. As the name state, they only have short horns but are not polled.
Unlike Japanese black, Japanese shorthorn has a lean meat profile, with a savory flavor.