Journal
Things we're thinking about, what makes Peak Wagyu great, and archival editions of the Moos-letter.
- InfoWhat sauce goes with Wagyu?Whatever you like. Great Wagyu needs little more than salt, and any sauce you enjoy is fair game. If you want a place to start, we recommend three Japanese classics: nikiri-shoyu with wasabi for leaner cuts, ponzu with grated daikon for marbled steaks, and sweet, garlicky tare for fatty yakiniku slices.
- InfoHow to tell if Wagyu is realAsk for the animal's 10-digit individual ID and look it up in Japan's national cattle registry, run by the National Livestock Breeding Center. A real Japanese Wagyu returns its breed, birth date and every move to slaughter. A real grade comes from the Japan Meat Grading Association and is tied to that ID. Kobe beef also carries its own certificate.
- InfoIs Wagyu healthy?Wagyu is rich beef, not health food. About half the fatty acids in Japanese Wagyu fat are oleic acid, the main fat in olive oil, so its fat is less saturated than Angus or other imported beef fat. But a marbled Wagyu ribeye carries about twice the calories and three times the fat per ounce of a USDA Choice ribeye.
- InfoWhy is Wagyu so expensive?Wagyu costs more because every stage costs more. In Japan, the calf alone is about half the cost of raising a Wagyu steer, and feed, nearly all of it bought in, is another third. The cattle live about 29 months, against about 20 for Angus, then are graded, butchered in Japan and shipped frozen across the Pacific.
- InfoHow to make Wagyu yakiniku at homeYakiniku is Japanese grilled meat, cooked a few bite-size pieces at a time at the table. To make it at home with Japanese Wagyu, heat a dry griddle or cast iron pan to 450–500ºF and cook ¼″ slices for 5–15 seconds a side, then eat them straight off the heat. Salt after cooking, or at the table.
- InfoJapanese Wagyu cuts, by nameJapanese butchers break a Wagyu carcass into different primals than US butchers, and name the best muscles on their own. Zabuton is the chuck flat or Denver, misuji is the top blade or flat iron, and ichibo is the rump cap Brazil calls picanha. Below, every cut from one cow, with its Japanese name, US equivalent and cooking time.
- InfoAmerican vs. Japanese Wagyu (and Angus): what's the difference?American Wagyu is usually a cross, most often a Wagyu bull bred to Angus cows, and an F1 cross is half Wagyu. Japanese Wagyu is 100% Japan's native breeds, raised and graded in Japan. Australian Wagyu has the largest herd outside Japan, much of it F1. Japanese Wagyu graded BMS 6 or higher sits above the ceiling of USDA Prime.
- InfoA5 Wagyu: what the grades meanA5 is the top grade the Japan Meat Grading Association gives a Wagyu carcass. The letter (A to C) rates how much meat the carcass yields, and the number (1 to 5) rates quality, set by the lowest of four scores. A5 needs marbling of BMS 8 or higher, and BMS 5 to 7 caps a carcass at 4.
- InfoKobe beef vs. Wagyu: what's the difference?All Kobe beef is Wagyu, but most Wagyu isn't Kobe. Wagyu means Japan's native cattle breeds. Kobe is one regional brand of them, limited to Tajima-line Japanese Black cattle raised in Hyogo prefecture that grade at least 4 for quality with BMS 6 or higher. Matsusaka, Omi, Miyazaki and Kagoshima are other regional brands, each with its own rules.
- InfoHow are Wagyu cows raised?In Japan, most Wagyu calves are born on a breeding farm, sold at about nine months, then fattened on a grain-heavy diet in barn pens until about 29 months. Massage and beer are largely myth. At Takeda Farm, Ellie Takeda feeds Hokkaido-grown hay, visits her cows several times a day, and sends them off before maximum weight.
- InfoWhat is Wagyu beef?Wagyu beef comes from Japan's four native cattle breeds, and "Wagyu" literally means "Japanese cattle." More than 98% of Japanese Wagyu is Japanese Black, a breed that stores unusual amounts of fat inside the muscle. That fat sits in fine flecks and melts at 64–80°F, which makes the beef rich, tender and sweet-smelling when cooked.
- InfoWhat makes Peak Wagyu special?Peak Wagyu sells one Japanese Fullblood Wagyu cow at a time, from a family farm in Hokkaido we've personally visited. Every cut traces to a named animal with a published JMGA grading certificate. Takeda Farm raises its cattle for comfort over maximum weight or grade, so the beef is richly marbled but more flavorful and balanced than most A5.
- Moos-letterMoos-letter #2: Build a Box!Build your own Peak Wagyu box, one cut at a time from Takemitsu-chan. Plus Chef Noah's Wagyu curry, shop time at our freezer, and a group-buy in New York.
- Moos-letterMoos-letter #1: This Week in PeakOur new Wagyu cooking guide, Austin food founders, a private chef's ranch dinner in New Braunfels, and a Wagyu Sommelier course in New York.
- Moos-letterMoos-letter #0: Peak Wagyu's first cow!!!Our first Moos-letter, from July 2026. Takemitsu-chan opens for pre-order, we thank everyone at the Austin launch dinner, and cooking guides are on the way.
