It takes just one bite of the mouthwatering, supple, savory, and delicious Wagyu beef to keep you coming back for more. 

Wagyu beef cattle are a Japanese national treasure thanks to their red, perfectly marbled, tender meat, which can cost as much as $250 per pound. 

A wagyu steak is one of the most expensive cuts of meat in the world. It can cost farmers at least $30,000 to acquire a full-blood wagyu breed of cattle. How is Wagyu beef raised? And what is it that makes this high-quality beef one of the priciest available today?​

What Makes a Cow Wagyu?

The term Wagyu was initially used to refer to all full-blood Japanese beef cattle—in Japanese, “wa” means Japanese or Japanese-style, while “gyu” means cattle. In current times, Wagyu is used to refer to both full-blood and purebred Japanese beef breeds.

Wagyu cows come in exactly four main breeds of cattle:

• Japanese Shorthorn: hails from northern Japan and is characterized by its lean build.
• Japanese Black: the most widely available breed of wagyu cattle known for its top-notch marbling.
• Japanese Brown: bred mainly in Kumamoto and prized for its exquisitely portioned content of red meat and fat deposits.
• Japanese Polled: a special and rare breed of Wagyu loved for its unique flavor.

Japanese cattle were eventually crossbred in America with Angus cattle breeds to produce the American Wagyu. The full-blood breeds are typically sold to American Wagyu farmers, with a birth certificate attesting to their pure Wagyu genetics.  Organizations like the American Wagyu Association provide registration for authentic Wagyu. 

Australian farmers have also expanded the Japanese Wagyu breed considerably by crossing it with their own cattle. Specialty breeders in Australia are currently known for having the absolute best Wagyu beef and the biggest herd of these cattle outside of Japan.

How Do They Raise Wagyu Beef?

Wagyu beef cattle are typically raised much longer than regular USDA prime beef cattle that you might be used to. 

Wagyu cows are required to amass more fat than traditional cattle to improve meat quality, encourage a high level of intramuscular fat, and develop their sought-after buttery texture and beefy flavor. 

In most cases, Wagyu cattle are raised and fed until they have 20-30 percent body fat or more, which can take considerable time to attain.

Wagyu cattle are also said to be raised in tight or confined barns in a stress-free environment to encourage rest and reduce any rigorous activity. This helps improve their fat-to-muscle ratio, which creates their superior flavor. It’s crucial that these animals produce as little adrenaline as possible, as it contributes to muscle tension and affects the tenderness and taste of their beef in the long run.

You might be used to using a pressure cooker or shredding meat to impart flavor and tenderize cheaper cuts of beef. However, wagyu stands out best when the high-quality marbled beef shines on its own. Wagyu steak or thinly sliced wagyu is best when it’s not cooked for too long.

How Are Cows Treated for Wagyu Beef?

There are many common misperceptions about how Wagyu cattle are treated before they are sent off for processing.

Some say that these cattle are given daily brushes and massages and are routinely serenaded with classical music. Others claim the cows are fed beer and read bedtime stories. As outlandish as some of these theories are, some of these myths actually originated from historical and traditional rearing practices. However, nowadays, most of these practices are not used since technological advancements in agriculture and cattle raising make them unnecessary.  

Once upon a time, Wagyu cows were given rubs and groomed with a stiff brush to relax their muscles and increase blood circulation during cold seasons when they couldn’t graze outside. Now, the practice is relatively uncommon. The claim that Wagyu cattle are being fed beer also has some truth to it. The practice was said to have been started by a Matsuzaka Wagyu cattle farmer. However, it is no longer done in today’s world.

The classical music and bedtime story myth is untrue (at least as a common practice, but maybe some farmers did!). Additionally, Wagyu beef is not more sustainable than conventional beef unless it’s grass-fed wagyu, which is a more earth-friendly practice. 

What Do Cows Eat to Become Wagyu?

American Wagyu cows are typically fed a grass-based diet and a considerable amount of specialized feeds. Japanese Wagyu beef cattle, on the other hand, are given special diets containing a broader range of feeds, including wheat bran, barley, soybean meal, and grain. 

They’re typically fed three times a day and are expected to gain about 2.5 pounds daily until they are large enough and suitable for processing.

This process usually takes about two years, with the cattle being weighed monthly to ensure they’re gaining weight as they should.

Is Wagyu Beef Humanely Raised?

Most Wagyu beef producers claim that their cattle are treated humanely, and we can kind of draw this conclusion ourselves by considering the unique and restful way these animals are raised. 

However, not many Wagyu facilities are checked or accredited by animal and humane meat welfare bodies, so it’s unclear whether these claims can be trusted.

It also doesn’t quite help that Wagyu beef was discovered to be one of the most consistently mislabeled foods in the United States.

The sad truth is that there’s currently no way of definitively knowing whether your favorite Wagyu beef producers are maintaining the best animal welfare practices, apart from taking their word for it or checking out their facilities yourself.

How Old Are Wagyu Cows When Slaughtered?

Wagyu beef cows are usually slaughtered at around 30 months, unlike their traditional counterparts, which are slaughtered at 18 months.

A major determinant of whether these cattle are ready for slaughter is their weight. 

Wagyu cattle typically weigh about 1,500 pounds before they are considered ready for processing.

How Are Wagyu Cows Killed at Slaughterhouses?

The general captive bolt method of slaughtering traditional cows is the same method used on Wagyu beef cattle. It involves driving the captive bolt pistol into the Wagyu cattle to render it unconscious. 

This method minimizes pain and suffering, as the cows are typically unconscious almost immediately after the initial steps.

What’s the Difference Between Wagyu and Kobe Beef?

You see both Wagyu and Kobe beef on fancy menus all over the place, so most people know they’re both quality beef, but what’s the difference between them?

We know that Wagyu refers to the four types of Japanese cow breeds known for their rich fat marbling: Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled, Japanese Shorthorn, and Japanese Black. Kobe beef is actually a slightly rarer type of Wagyu beef since it only comes from a strain of the Japanese Black breed of cattle.

Unfortunately, when both Wagyu and Kobe beef started appearing on American menus, there wasn’t the same sort of regulation or labeling designation as in Japan. Without oversight, anyone can slap a Wagyu or Kobe label on their beef, even if it may just be a specially marbled average American cow. In the U.S., it’s hard to know if it’s authentic wagyu beef. The important thing to remember is that true Wagyu and Kobe will be pricey. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.