I’m studying a WSJ Online article today about Wagyu beef. It’s quite interesting. I think it was way easier figuring out another very esoteric and expensive proposition: buiding diamonds. Get this:

…finding good Wagyu can be a complicated proposition. Cross-breeding among the cattle is common, and most products on the market are actually half-Wagyu, half-Angus, says American Wagyu Association spokesman Charles Gaskins. Some ranchers and retailers aim for a higher percentage — Morgan Ranch says its cows are mostly 75% to 80% Wagyu, while Lobel’s says it requires a minimum of 87.5%. There are no federal rating systems for Wagyu — unlike most steak sold in supermarkets, labeled by quality from “select” to “prime,” it’s not graded by the U.S. Agriculture Department. Finally, almost every ranch has a proprietary blend of grain and roughage for the cattle’s diet, and cows that are raised longer can yield more marbled steak

Apparently there is even some fair degree of deceptive marketing involved, with online retailers claiming to sell American-raised “Kobe beef” (you can only call it Kobe if it’s been raised, by hand most likely, in Kobe, Japan).

I doubt you’ll see us taste-testing them… until of course the paid sponsorships begin, and we can shell out for five hundred bucks worth of steaks.

Via: Moments of Clarity: Do you Wagyu?