Australian Wagyu VS Japanese Wagyu

     While both the Australian and Japanese Wagyu are deliciously delicious and farmed for their extravagant levels of marbling, what makes them different? To the consumer’s eye, they might look and taste the same, but here is some information that you can surely wow your friends and family. 

     Australian Wagyu cattle are bred, fed, grown, and processed in Australia. As Australia’s soils, grasses, and climate are naturally different from Japan’s environments, their different feeding techniques (fed for 350 - 450 days) impact each Wagyu’s texture and size. Fullblood, Purebred, and Crossbred Australian Wagyu all have varying levels of marbling, having large amounts of muscular fat. Although they originated from Japan, most Australian Wagyu cattle are crossbred. The Australian beef grading system (AUS-MEAT & Meat Standards of Australia), both have a marbling score from 0 - 9, with Australian Wagyu usually receiving a grade of 6 or more. 

     On the other hand, Japanese Wagyu cattle have a pure lineage with no crossbreeding, making them 100% full blood Wagyu. Bred, fed, grown, and processed in Japan, this is what makes Japanese Wagyu more exclusive and expensive than Australian Wagyu. These cattle are fed for 600 days or more. With a longer feeding technique, it makes Japanese Wagyu more tender and larger. With a distinctly sweet flavor, Japanese Wagyu is world-famous for its high levels and quality of marbling. Graded according to the Japanese Beef Grading System (grade levels from A-C, beef quality grades from 1 - 5, & beef marble score from 3 - 12), only this type of wagyu can receive a prized score of A5. 

     Despite these differences, both the Australian and Japanese Wagyu are delicious, which is why we highly recommend you to give both a try!