Product name : Beef Cattle-Japanese Wagyu

Item : C-03

Japan

High grade sliced Matsusaka wagyu beef (rib section meat)

Because of Japan's rugged terrain and isolated areas, different breeding and feeding techniques were used such as massaging or adding beer or sake to their feeding regimen. It is suggested that this was done to aid in digestion and induce hunger during humid seasons, but it appears to have no effect on the meat's flavor. Massaging may have been introduced to prevent muscle cramping on small farms in Japan where the animals did not have sufficient room to use their muscles.

There are four breeds of wagyu: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, and Japanese Shorthorn. Wagyu cattle's genetic predisposition yields a beef that contains a higher percentage of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than typical beef. The increased marbling also increases the ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats.

Japanese Black makes up 90% of all fattened cattle in Japan. Strains of Japanese Black include Tottori, Tajima, Shimane and Okayama. Japanese Brown, also known as Japanese Red, is the other main breed; strains include Kochi and Kumamoto. Japanese Shorthorn makes up less than one percent of all cattle in Japan.

Australia

The Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside Japan. Both fullblood and wagyu-cross cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets, including Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, the U.K., France, Germany, Denmark and the U.S.A. Australian wagyu cattle are grain fed for the last 300–500 days of production. Wagyu bred in Western Australia's Margaret River region often have red wine added to their feed as well.

United States

In the United States, Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred with Angus cattle. This crossbreed has been named American Style Kobe Beef. Designed to mimic the diet that Japanese cattle were receiving, Wagyu cattle in the United States are fed a mixture of corn, alfalfa, barley and wheat straw.

In Colorado, Wagyu beef is being marketed by a ranch near Basalt, Colorado, and by a ranch near Rush, Colorado. In Montana, Wagyu beef is being raised and marketed by a ranch near Belgrade, Montana. Wagyu were first competitively exhibited at the National Western Stock Show in 2012.

Canada

Wagyu cattle farming in Canada appeared after 1991 when the Canadian Wagyu Association was formed. Wagyu style cattle and farms in Canada are found only in Alberta. Canadian Wagyu beef products are exported to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Europe.