A5 Wagyu Steak at a Glance
Japan produces A5 Wagyu steaks, which are renowned for their tenderness, buttery flavor, and insane marbling.
They can cost around $250 or higher per pound. A5 Wagyu steak is delivered frozen and vacuum-sealed to your door when you order it for maximum freshness.
Here’s a quick look at a few different sizes:
Why Does A5 Wagyu Steak Cost So Much?
Japanese A5 Wagyu beef is definitely expensive, starting at $250 or more per pound. Why is this particular meat so much more expensive than alternatives?
If you’ve ever eaten A5 Wagyu steak, you are already aware of the extraordinary dining experience. High-quality Wagyu beef has a distinct texture, a delicious meaty flavor, and buttery melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
What makes this mouth-watering combination possible? The one-of-a-kind marbling of the meat makes it butter-soft, turning the rich taste of the beef even richer.
The following traits are specifically bred into Wagyu cattle to achieve this marbling:
- A higher number of intermuscular fat cells
- A more even fat distribution throughout the muscle
- Fat content at almost 50%
This gives Wagyu its prized tender flavor and delicate pink color. This type of marbling is unique to A5 Wagyu beef, which is why it is so expensive. Can’t look much better than this. credit:
In addition to the delectable taste, geography is another reason why the A5 Wagyu steak is so ridiculously expensive. The land is scarce in Japan, which makes the Japanese cattle industry far smaller than its US counterpart.
There are typically between 10 and 100 cattle on Japanese feedlots as opposed to several thousand cattle on one domestic lot. Wagyu cattle are therefore given plenty of care and direct supervision from their farmers despite their low numbers.
Scarcity of Specialized Farmers
Labor is expensive in Japan, even more so because the number of young people joining the Wagyu industry is steadily decreasing. This means the specialized farmers are aging and increasingly limited in number, which naturally drives the price up.
Security and Traceability System
The Wagyu industry in Japan has a strict security system with unmatched transparency. The Japanese government maintains incredibly strict regulations to safeguard the value and quality of Wagyu.
The first step starts with taking the nose print of every cattle at birth. Each cattle is then issued its own 10-digit code, which is a traceable identification number unique to that specific cattle.
Japan’s National Livestock Breeding Center provides this service, which protects businesses and individuals from fraudulent sellers and suppliers. It’s also an effective safeguard for the world-renowned Wagyu beef reputation, which is hundreds of years old.
You can track back any information you require for each individual Wagyu cattle using this special ID number. This includes the following:
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Parents and extended lineage
- Breed
- Feedlot
- Processing plant
- Exporter
- Importer
- Distributor
Naturally, keeping up such a meticulous system has an impact on the cost of A5 Wagyu.
Importing Japanese Wagyu to the US brings with it additional costs. The import quota on Japanese beef stands at 200 tons per year. These first 200 tons are subject to an import duty of 4.4 cents per kilogram.
The US levies a 26. 4% import tax on all Japanese beef that exceeds the import quota, which naturally affects the retail price of Wagyu
Why Does A5 Wagyu Steak Taste So Good?
Take a look at how the specialized raising technique contributes to the well-known flavor profile to understand what gives A5 Wagyu beef its distinct marbling, taste, and texture in the first place.
Cattle in US beef programs are fed for approximately 120 days before being transported for processing. Japanese Wagyu cattle, in contrast, consume a special, high-energy diet for a lot longer—between 600 and 700 days.
As a result, Japanese Wagyu is fed for more than five times as long as its US counterparts. Despite requiring more resources and time due to the prolonged feeding period, this is how Japanese Wagyu mature until they are fully marbled.
Japanese Wagyu are closely watched and given meticulous care by their farmers, who work to keep these remarkable cattle stress-free. This in turn affects the meat’s flavor, texture, and taste.
What Does A5 Mean?
A5 refers to the grade of Wagyu. Wagyu is graded based on two factors:
A3 to A5 are the only Wagyu grades that are approved for sale in Japan. A5 is the highest grade available, with higher grades costing more money.
Only 10 regions produce the best Wagyu cuts out of the more than 300 Wagyu varieties. Kobe beef, from the city of Kobe, the administrative center of Hyogo Prefecture, is the most popular Wagyu cut. Kobe is made from steers, which are castrated bulls.
Another extremely pricey cut is Matsusaka Wagyu. Highly sought-after for its tender texture, it comes from Mie Prefecture and is made exclusively from virgin female cows.
How to Make Sure Your A5 Wagyu Is Authentic
Request the authenticity certificate showing the distinct cattle ID number when purchasing A5 Wagyu. This is a good defense against dishonest vendors who can’t deliver this.
The exquisite marbling and flavor of A5 Wagyu steaks are the result of careful monitoring, stress-free cattle raising, and a protracted, generous feeding program.
This helps to explain the exorbitant price tag for A5 Wagyu, which is also caused by Japan’s limited labor pool, limited land supply, and stringent production regulations. This is the quick response if you’ve ever wondered how much an A5 wagyu steak costs.
That said, Japanese A5 Wagyu is no ordinary meal. The unparalleled dining experience makes the steep price worthwhile for special occasions when only the best will do.
If you want to give it a try, I suggest looking at CrowdCow’s top-selling Wagyu steaks.
Why Wagyu Beef Is So Expensive | So Expensive
FAQ
How much is A5 Wagyu beef per pound?
Average Japanese A5 Wagyu Beef Rib Eye Loin – $2400. 00 ($120. 00 per lb. ).
Is A5 Wagyu steak worth it?
The A5 grade, the highest quality grade of wagyu beef, is renowned for its intense marbling, buttery texture, and rich flavor, making it the ultimate steak. It’s a favorite among chefs, and when served at the dinner table, it’s sure to be a hit.
How much is Wagyu beef per pound?
Wagyu meat, which has Japanese origins and is prized for its rich marbling and buttery flavor, can cost up to $200 per pound, and the cows themselves can fetch up to $30,000 each. But what is it that makes the meat so expensive?.
Why is Japanese A5 Wagyu expensive?
The limited amount of land available for cattle in Japan is one of the primary causes of the high price of Wagyu beef. Wagyu cattle are bred in a particular region, so the large number of cattle required to reduce the price would not fit on the limited land that is available.