Wagyu is a Japanese breed, and the word itself means “Japanese” (wa) “bovine” (gyu). This high-quality and world-renowned beef is commonly named “Kobe”. Kobe beef is just a type of Wagyu breed hailing from the region of Kobe, Hyogo, in Japan.
During the Edo Period ( 1635-1868 ), the Shogun banned the consumption of meat coming from four-footed animals. The bovines were therefore used to farm soy and paddy fields, not as a source of food.
That hard and wearing work led the Japanese bovines to develop monounsaturated fats in their muscle fibres (marbling). This meat has unique organoleptic properties, making it an excellent culinary product. Wagyu bovines reach complete maturation between the 30th and 33rd month of life, while other bovines need only 22 months. Furthermore the diet of Wagyu bovines is conceived and changed according to their age and gender.