The creme de la creme. Japanese Kobe steak is usually considered the most expensive steak globally, with its marbling recognized as the world's best.
Narrator: This is wagyu beef, one of the most expensive meats in the world. Produced in Japan and prized for its rich marbling and buttery taste, high-grade wagyu can cost up to $200 per pound, and the cows themselves can sell for as much as $30,000.
Wagyu beef is one of the most expensive meats in the world, and there are a number of factors that contribute to its high cost. From limited land and unique cow breeds in Japan to smaller feed lots and the US import quota, there are many reasons why Wagyu beef is so expensive.
Wagyu cattle are a special breed of cattle that are known for their intense marbling and amazing flavor. There are many different cuts of Wagyu beef, each with its own unique taste and texture. The most popular cuts come from the rib, loin, and chuck primal cuts.
The term Wagyu refers to a number of different Japanese cattle breeds, and Kobe beef is a type of Wagyu. However, Kobe beef must be from the Kobe city area of Japan, located within the Hyōgo prefecture. Kobe beef is also raised under strict methods that differ from other Wagyu breeds.
More precisely, Kobe Beef has a creamier taste and feel in the mouth compared to regular Japanese A5 Wagyu. In our opinion, Kobe Beef takes the term 'Japanese Wagyu' to an even higher level.
Wagyu, as compared to Angus, has high marbling, and this is why it is preferable when you want to enjoy the moisture, tender and delicious steak. When considering the right pick in terms of personal health, choose Wagyu Beef.
The most expensive steak in the world is a cut known as an A5 Kobe cut. When Kobe beef arrives to be processed, it is given a rating. The highest of these ratings is an A5. A5 Kobe beef is characterized by impressive marbling and is typically served thinly sliced.
The filet has a sweet flavor and delicate tenderness. Because this muscle is mostly sedentary, it is very supple. In Wagyu, particularly 100% Fullblood Wagyu, the Filet Mignon has more marbling, bringing even more velvety decadence and flavor than Filet Mignon cuts from other breeds of cattle.
A single certified wagyu cow can cost as much as $30,000, which is 10 times more than the typical American Angus. High demand/low supply is a second factor. The cow that produces wagyu beef lives a life even a human would envy. They are pampered from the day they are born to ensure they live stress-free.
How the cattle are cared for is also a factor, they are raised in low-stress conditions as stress can allow the beef to become tough over time. All of these costly aspects contribute to the final product, a buttery, delicious cut of steak, which of course in turn requires a higher price point.
Japanese Wagyu are fed more than five times longer than domestic beef in the United States, and are cared for by farmers who create a low stress, proper environment that benefits all cattle. It is crucial Wagyu cattle are cared for properly; it is a top priority to treat Wagyu as well as they treat us.
Olive wagyu has been called the rarest steak in the world. At over $500 a pound, it's one of the most expensive meats you can buy. In Shōdoshima, Japan, Masaki Ishii creates olive wagyu by feeding his cattle the waste from local olive groves.
The most expensive meat in the world is Japanese Wagyu beef, specifically the Kobe variety. Kobe beef comes from Tajima-gyu cattle that are raised in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan and is renowned for its high level of marbling, tenderness, and rich, buttery flavor. The high price of Kobe beef is due to several factors.
What Is the Highest Quality Steak in the World? Not surprisingly, the most expensive meat in the world — the Kobe beef A5 Wagyu Tomahawk — is also the highest quality of beef. Only a specific type of cattle from a certain region of Japan are selected to make Kobe beef, according to Ventured.
Japanese A5 Wagyu is the most expensive type of steak in the world because it is the rarest grade of all Japanese Wagyu beef steak. The most expensive steak in the world has a price tag of $1,000 and it's a Wagyu tomahawk steak called the Papi Steak.
Kobe beef is considered the most expensive and sought after beef in the world, with single portions often selling for more than $200. In Japan, the cost of Kobe beef starts at about $300 per pound. In the States, it can be $50 per ounce—whereas other non-Kobe Wagyu can be half of that cost.
Because Kobe beef exemplifies everything that makes Wagyu better! It is considered the most abundantly marbled beef in the world. To be labelled Kobe, cattle must meet stringent standards upon slaughter. Due to these stringent standards, only 3,000 head of cattle qualify as authentic Kobe cattle each year.
Owing to their large size, and as they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef (the short loin and the tenderloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks, and prices at steakhouses are accordingly high.
Shank. Shank is arguably the toughest, cheapest cut of beef. Located in front of the brisket at the cow's forearm, this beef cut is notable for its sinewy dryness. Due to its lack of popularity, shank is not typically found in retail stores.
A porterhouse cut actually offers two different cuts of steak in one, a New York Strip and a tenderloin filet (via My Chicago Steak). It's similar to a T-bone that way, but the Porterhouse is bigger in size and comes with a larger piece of the tenderloin, which makes it a more luxurious cut.
You should also be able to purchase tomahawk steaks from your local butcher. The cost of a tomahawk steak price per pound varies between $35 to $70 per pound, depending on where you are in the States.
Australian Wagyu is a breed of beef that has been developed for the Australian market. They are genetically linked to the Japanese Wagyu breed, but are raised in Australia, where they are fed a diet of grain and hay.
Traditionally, Japanese Wagyu cattle are fed a mixture of grass and grain to ensure their signature high marbling. In New Zealand, where the majority of cattle are grass-fed, First Light Farms have taken Wagyu to the next level by raising Wagyu cattle on a 100% grass-fed diet.
Japan's "top three" wagyu brands — specifically Matsusaka Ushi, Kobe Beef, and Ohmi Beef — all hail from the Kansai region of Japan. While their bloodlines all trace their origins to Tajima beef, a subspecies of Japanese Black cattle from Hyogo Prefecture, each of these wagyu brands boasts a unique flavor profile.