What are the benefits of Wagyu?
For the producer: Wagyu is a unique breed that has amongst its key attributes, other than the exquisite marbled beef quality, a high calving ease, excellent (docile) temperament, resilient in the feedlot and has a high (dressing percentage) carcass yield. Wagyu bulls and cows reach puberty early, are very fertile, and have a strong libido. The bulls can service many more cows than most other breeds. Wagyu also are very heat tolerant and remain very fertile when most other animals struggle with heat stress. Furthermore, it is common for bulls and cows to remain in service until 18 years old. One other very important trait is that Wagyu cows have outstanding udders with amazingly very little issues. Udders of Wagyu cattle over 10 years old look as if they did when the cow had her first calf. The outstanding udder of the Wagyu is also passed down to the offspring of the F1 cross.
For the consumer: Beef is a significant source of healthful fats, including monounsaturated fat (MUFA) and conjugated linoleic acid. Wagyu beef contains a much higher ratio of MUFA to saturated fat and it has been shown in human studies to improve cholesterol levels. MUFA’s primary component, oleic acid, is also associated with the rich flavor, soft and low melting point of the fat, and tenderness of the cooked beef. Compared to ordinary beef, Wagyu beef has 30% more CLA, which studies have shown reverses diabetes symptoms, reduces body fat, and deters the buildup of arterial plaque. See article on Wagyu fat health benefits: http://meat.tamu.edu/2015/03/26/marbling-research-shows-healthy-fat-in-beef-has-benefits-agrilife-today/
What is the difference between Kobe and Wagyu? Kobe beef is produced by the Wagyu breed of cattle only in Hyogo Prefecture whose capital is Kobe, Japan. Anyone who calls their Wagyu "Kobe" alone may be sued as only the beef from Wagyu in Hyogo Prefecture may call them the meat Kobe Beef. However, since the Kobe name is more recognizable, some in America call their Wagyu "American Kobe" or "Kobe Style". The name "Wagyu" just means Japanese cow. Japan has many prefectures (areas) that had different lines of Wagyu. The blacks being Tajima, Fujiyoshi, Kedaka, Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, etc and reds Kumamoto (Akaushi - red cow) and Kochi. Kobe beef contains the Tajima line of Wagyu cattle as do many Wagyu beef in America and Australia. Paying the higher price for A5 (highest Japanese grade of beef) may seem silly when you can get a similar cut and sometimes better in American Wagyu beef or Australian.
Which steak is imported Japanese A-5 grade and which is an AWA member's production? Most would say the finer marbled steak on the left would be A-5 from Japan but in fact it was produced by AWA member Wagyu Sekai in Ontario, Canada. Photo is courtesy of Wagyu Sekai.
What is the difference between Certified Angus Beef and Wagyu Beef? Both of these terms are determined by the organizations to promote the meat of their breed. So other than Wagyu having about twice the marbling and usually more tender, here are the guidelines for the meat. Certified Angus Beef (CAB) is beef from Angus parentage OR beef from an animal with more than a 50% black hair coat meeting guidelines in the carcass. The marketing of CAB has been very successful and seems every restaurant or store promotes "Angus Beef". However, it need not even be Angus according to their guidelines. The result is many breeds have bred for black animals which sell to meet these very liberal guidelines. The old yellow and white Simmentals have virtually disappeared and now most are solid black or black with white faces. Actually, even dairy Holstein steers having 50% black coats could qualify as Certified Angus Beef, as I've seen some Holstein steers fed up to be like beef steers. Let me assure you that not all beef is alike and unless you are buying the small old type Aberdeen Angus you may be disappointed in some CAB as it may not be Angus at all. Wagyu Beef is considered any animal that is 46.875% to 100% Wagyu parentage. The lowest being a Pureblood (15/16's Wagyu or more) mated with a non Wagyu animal. So when you go to a restaurant and have Wagyu Beef on the menu you may want to confirm the percentage Wagyu it is, as there is a difference between a low percentage and a fullblood (100% Wagyu). The higher percentage Wagyu the better. So the difference in guidelines is that Angus Beef need not be Angus at all, while Wagyu Beef has to be at least nearly half Wagyu.
What is the difference between Red Wagyu and Black Wagyu? In Japan most of the blacks are raised in small paddocks where the animal is brought food while the reds are raised on the grasslands of Kumamoto prefecture on the island of Kyushu. Naturally the blacks tend to marble better and be more tender with little or no exercise, while the reds do better on foraging and marble slightly less some say. However, some also say the red has the finer marbling. You can look at a cut of steak from blacks that has pencil thick marbling rather than the fine threadlike marbling of some of the reds. Either way both tend to marble above our Prime grade. If you look at individual pics of bulls you may think the Reds are larger as they look like a typical beef breed whereas the blacks have the Jersey look of heavy in the front but small hindquarters. However, the larger black lines, while growing more slowly, can reach 2640 lbs as Itoshigefuji TF147 did.
Why Breed a Red Wagyu to a Black Wagyu?
Over the years there has been much discussion on social media and elsewhere regarding the breeding of Red Wagyu to Black Wagyu. It seems new members come in and the “controversy” starts up again. Let me say that there is no “controversy” as the AWA and the membership has determined that Red/Blacks are 100% Wagyu and are registered as Fullblood animals. However, as of January 1st, 2018 they must be solid red colored or solid black colored, and this I personally disagree with as the mantra used to be: “it's what's INSIDE that counts.” But I digress.
It is true that Japan and others do not recognize the mating of a red Wagyu and a black Wagyu as anything but a cross. However, Blacks have so many lines with different characteristics that it is hard to say that a black Fujiyoshi mated to a black Tajima is not also a cross. Basically it really comes down to whatever an association of people say is a pure animal and those people who agree to it.
The advantages of using a black Wagyu is the abundance of marbling. The disadvantage is slow growth. In Japan blacks are kept in small paddocks and brought feed and do not go out and forage.
Some members are black purists and insist that one cannot improve on what the Japanese have sent us and so seek out some of the foundation bulls semen at prices of up to $5000. a straw. Ralph Valdez once told me that because of the small gene pool he likes to get original bulls semen as the rest of the blacks are all interbred. Personally, I think this means there will be no improvement to the blacks and I think the Japanese would not sell us their top animals and possibly only their culls. My embryologist has lots of Parisien, the original Simmental bull shipped over from France in the '70's. He can't sell a straw as the Simmentals have had over 40 years of improvement. In the '70's the Japanese sold us only bulls and so Wagyu Purebloods have been improved for over these 40 some years!
However, in the '90's the Japanese sold us cows along with bulls and black Fullbloods were the up and coming thing but have not materially improved due to the breeding back to original bulls or their sons. Meanwhile, some producers kept improving the purebloods, many of whom have red Wagyu blood in them, and a good example is the recent sale of Bar R-AB 6123 a red/black pureblood that sold for $115,000 on 5/19/18.
Now the Red Wagyu's advantages are quicker growth, fairly high marbling and probably finer marbling. They are good foragers as they are raised on grass in Japan. They have better conformation as they look like a beef animal instead of a “black Jersey” as some have called the blacks. One top breeder, Garth Monroe, likes the reds beef better as he thinks it is more “juicier”. The Brazilians also like reds for better heat toleration as their hide is lighter colored than the blacks.
Breeding Red/Black Wagyu you could end up with a better all around beef animal and not feed it grain for 27 months. The increase in the gene pool would be a huge advantage. Also you could get various shades of blonde or gray from the occasional color pattern. I bought the Grand Champion Red/Black heifer at the Denver show in 2016 and she is a blond color and now bred to a red she has produced a beautiful white bull. He is 100% Wagyu and would do well in hot areas for a heat tolerant hide.
What is a Blond Wagyu? Initially the AWA motto was "It's what's inside that counts." They did this because black Wagyu, grew slowly and looked like black Jerseys instead of a beef breed. The difference being they marbled twice as well as typical beef breeds. The IMF (inter muscular fat - marbling) was about 23% in Wagyu while Angus and Herefords were coming in at 11-12% on one study I saw. However, in 2017 the wisdom of the board members has now changed this philosophy and believes we need to concentrate on external color instead of what is inside. Previously the AWA rule book would accept any animal that has Wagyu genetics but now they disqualify Wagyu that do not have either a solid red or a solid black coat. So a breed with a limited gene pool is now excluding quality animals. The blonds or greys vary in shades from light ash to dark blond and they come about due to the dilution factor in crossing red to blacks. Just as a red Shorthorn was crossed onto a Black Angus in Australia and the Murray Grey breed was formed. So I think the board members are doing a disservice to the Association and we are missing the boat on this one. I think we would have a demand for blonds and attract even more interest in a breed offering 3 color variations with tremendous marbling.
FB Black - Tajima line
GVW Michifuku 93014 – FB21014 Grand Champion RB Wagyu Heifer
FB Red - Akaushi Kumamoto line
What about Purebred Polled Wagyu? Fullblood Wagyu are a horned animal as are most historic breeds used as oxen. If you have an oxen team and they back up the yoke will slide off if there are no horns. However, modern beef cattle are usually bred to be polled (no horns) as they can poke out eyes and running cattle thru a chute I have seen a horn go up another cows rectum and that can't be good. Feedlots do not want horned cattle and sale barns dock you on the price of horned cattle. In 1976 the U.S. imported 4 Fullblood Wagyu bulls but no females. So breeders would breed up to 15/16ths Wagyu to get what we call "Purebred". Often this breeding up was done with female Angus who are naturally polled and since polled is dominant over horned many animals were initially polled but since cattle had to be rebred back to horned Fullblood bulls often the polled gene was lost. Furthermore, breeders were more concerned with getting top carcasses rather than having them polled. The result was purebred Wagyu with great carcasses and few of them polled. So purebred Wagyu were IMPROVED for carcasses since 1976, a total of over 40 years of improvement. However, in 1993, there was another shipment of Wagyu imported and now there were females included. So many breeders wanted Fullbloods (100% Wagyu) and these breeders kept trying to improve but had limited gene pools and often now they go back and rebreed to foundation bulls whose semen sells for up to $5000 a straw! The result is not much improvement in the breed. Granted they have the fantastic marbling but the slow growth and Jersey look seems to continue in many fullbloods. The desire for fullbloods has also retarded the developement of polled in purebloods. Lately, though some breeders are starting to breed for the polled gene with these purebred Wagyu and the June/July 2017 AWA newsletter has an article on the wave of the future in purebred polled Wagyu.