British Farmers' 'Wagyu' Beef Strains Prove A Hit
UK - Following the mad cow disease scare in Britain and a desire to eat better quality food, Japanese beef is increasing in popularity here, and some farmers are using Japanese techniques to improve the quality of their meat.
9 May 2007
1 minute read
| "Wagyu" cattle graze on the Voelas Hall estate in north Wales |
Since 2000, farmer David Wynne Finch has been breeding Japanese "wagyu" cattle at his farm in Wales and has seen his beef being snapped up by London's top shops and hotels.
He imported the embryos of mixed black wagyu (literally Japanese cattle) from the United States and implanted them in some standard cross-bred beef cows.
Just as the farmers in Japan, Wynne Finch lets his cattle live a stress-free life on his Welsh estate. They are well-fed with grain and given beer in the summer months.
They are also massaged — albeit by a machine — to make sure all the muscles are used and the fat is distributed into the meat.
The beer meanwhile stimulates the animals' appetites.
The result is meat highly marbled with unsaturated fat with a relatively high percentage of omega-3 fatty acids. The beef has a velvety texture and is revered by gourmets.
Source: Japan Times
