Wagyu beef is beef grown from the Wagyu cattle. It was once nearly exclusively raised in Kobe, Japan, where it is considered the premium cut of beef because of its extensive marbling. In fact, while American Prime beef, the most expensive cut, is graded a 6 on a marbling scale of 1-12, Wagyu beef tends to be graded at 12, making it a very rich cut of meat.

Much of Wagyu beef is now grown outside of Japan, making it distinct from Kobe beef. Because of the limited space for raising cattle in Japan, smart growers in other regions realized they could make a bundle on raising Wagyu beef cattle elsewhere. Most food experts cite no significant difference between the taste of Wagyu beef versus that of Kobe beef.

Because of the extensive fat marbling, Wagyu beef may look like it’s covered in snow. It’s also sometimes referred to as “white” beef. Some, who prefer a leaner cut, may find Wagyu beef not worth the trouble or expense because they simply don’t like the fat. Also, cooking Wagyu beef in traditional ways will produce inferior results. Much of Wagyu beef is either prepared as steak tartar, or in quick pan searing methods. If you overcook Wagyu beef, you’ve wasted a lot of money.

Assuredly, Wagyu beef will cost a lot of money. It generally runs between 100-150 US dollars (USD) per pound (.45 kg), so proper cooking is essential. In Japan, it is not uncommon for Kobe or Wagyu beef to be sold in restaurants for the equivalent of about 300 (USD) per plate.

Though Wagyu beef is high in fat content, the content of the fat differs from more traditional cattle meat. In fact, Wagyu beef is celebrated because it is high in monounsaturated fat. So actually, though the beef seems well marbled, the fat content is lower and may actually bring down cholesterol levels, or help people watch their weight.

Wagyu beef prices remain high because supply of the cattle is limited. Some lower quality cuts of Wagyu may sell for 50 USD per pound. Normally food experts warn: you get what you pay for when trying to apply economy to Wagyu. These cuts may be no better than the average prime grade or choice grade cuts of beef.

With greater interest in Wagyu beef, it is likely growers will continue to add to their stocks. However, with limited stock comes the ability to charge more. Thus Wagyu may never be commonly available or cheap to purchase.