[Wagyu vs. Domestic Beef] The Japanese's Most Serious Beef Battle | Three Classic Ways of Eating and Restaurant Recommendations
The term "Wagyu" is quite familiar to Hong Kong people. In high-end restaurants in Japan, Hong Kong, and even around the world, these two words are synonymous with high quality and luxury. But is Wagyu really the same as domestically produced beef from Japan? The answer is: no.
Strictly speaking, "Wagyu" refers to only four purebred cattle breeds: Japanese Black Wagyu, Japanese Brown Wagyu, Japanese Polled Wagyu, and Japanese Shorthorn Wagyu. To be officially certified as "Wagyu," it not only needs to come from a prestigious lineage but also requires generations of careful breeding and management; it's not enough for just any animal to be born and raised in Japan. The Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef that you're most familiar with actually both come from Japanese Black Wagyu—which dominates the 90% of the Japanese Wagyu market.











