Wagyu beef
Wagyu beef is the a term given to beef taken from the black Japanese breeds of cattle.
If born, reared, and slaughtered in the Kobe region of Japan it is known as Kobe beef, in the same way as sparkling wine produced in Champagne is named. This causes some confusion and a lot of Wagyu beef is also sold as Kobe, although in truth all true Kobe beef is eaten within Japan. The largest producing country of Wagyu in the world is Australia, while the US produce a lot of cross-bred Wagyu, which is usually mixed with Angus for their larger size. Wagyu beef can be identified by the high level of fat marbling throughout the meat. This fat is unique from the fat in other beef and is a creamy colur, with a buttery consistency. It is also lower in cholesterol and higher in Omega 3 than other fats. Wagyu cattle are rare, and particularly full-blooded Wagyu, that have not been mixed with other breeds. Because of this Wagyu is a very expensive product, demanding prices of up to £130 per KG.