The ‘Rolls-Royce of beef’: why is Wagyu so popular – especially in Hong Kong? Served in fine dining restaurants across the city, the beautifully marbled, melt-in-your-mouth meat is even healthier, too
- Japanese Wagyu is graded by experts using the Beef Marbling Scale, with scores of one to a highest of 12 indicating the amount and quality of marbling
- Wagyu beef is considered healthier too, with its high concentration of monounsaturated fats, one of the so called ‘good fats’ – and Hong Kong chefs reveal how to best prepare it
Wagyu is the Rolls-Royce of beef. It sits at the very top of the league of meats, a coveted delicacy associated with luxury, salivated over by carnivore foodies the world over. Its popularity shows little sign of waning either in Hong Kong or around the world. So what is it that makes Wagyu so special? We reached out to some experts to find out.
The first thing to know: although in the strictest sense the word translates simply to “Japanese cow”, Wagyu is in fact one of four specific cattle breeds, each with specific genetic qualities. While it is often associated with Japan, Wagyu cattle is also now also bred in countries as far apart as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The most celebrated characteristic of Wagyu is the breed’s high levels of evenly distributed intramuscular fat, usually referred to as marbling. This is what gives the resulting cooked beef an unctuous richness, a buttery mouthfeel and arguably superior flavour. To top it all off, Wagyu is considered healthier, with a high concentration of monounsaturated fats, one of the so called “good fats”.