Olive Wagyu Event
Frequently Asked QuestionsAbout Olive Wagyu
Q: How can I buy Olive Wagyu?
A: Crowd Cow is the only way to get Olive Wagyu from Japan delivered to your doorstep. We’re excited to make this limited product available to Steak Holders (those with a previous Crowd Cow purchase) on Sunday, August 26th. Make a purchase by midnight the night before to become a Steak Holder and get access to the event. If any product remains the following day, it will be made available for sale to the general public. For more info, read here.
Q: What is Olive Wagyu?
A: Olive Wagyu comes from the world-renowned Japanese Wagyu beef (“wagyu” translates to “Japanese cow”, and really only refers to one of four Japanese breeds, kuroge washu, since that breed alone is capable of crazy marbling). Olive Wagyu is raised on just a handful of farms in and around Shodoshima Island, in Japan’s smallest prefecture, Kagawa. Olive wagyu delivers everything you love about Wagyu, but is even more rare. Crowd Cow sources from three small farms in Kagawa that upcycle wasted olive pulp from olive oil production as feed for their cows. This results in exceptionally high levels of oleic acid, giving the beef extraordinary softness and melt-in-your-mouth feel. It recently won the “Best Fat” award at Japan’s Wagyu Olympics.
Q: How exclusive is Olive Wagyu?
A: Based on our research, it has only ever been made available for purchase in the United States twice, in both cases in very limited quantities at 2 exclusive steakhouses on the west coast. It has never been made available to the general public in the United States. There are only a couple thousand cattle in Japan that qualify as Olive Wagyu, and since only a handful are slaughtered each month, this really is the “rarest steak in the world”.
Q: What grade is the Olive Wagyu beef that Crowd Cow will be selling? Is it A5?
A: Japanese beef is graded on two dimensions: yield (a grade of A, B or C, based on how much meat is obtained from the cow) and quality (a score of 1-5, with 5 being the best). Quality is based on the level of intramuscular fat and marbling. We will be offering Olive Wagyu beef that has been graded both A3, A4 and A5, and selling and pricing cuts of these 3 grades separately. For reference, USDA Prime is the equivalent of A2.
Q: What is a “Steak Holder?” Why is this event exclusive to Steak Holders?
A: A Steak Holder is our term for someone who has “joined the herd” by signing up for Crowd Cow and making a purchase. Our Steak Holders are our biggest advocates and supporters, and when we get access to something as exclusive as Olive Wagyu, we want to make sure they’re first in line to get some. We look forward to bringing more craft beef and other meats to our site and continuing to expand the benefits of being a Steak Holder.
Q: How much Olive Wagyu will be for sale? Can I be first in line?
A: If you shopped our recent Kagoshima A5 Wagyu event, you know that when we offer Japanese Wagyu, it sells fast. This will be no exception; so while we have a good supply of Olive Wagyu, the reality is that quantities are limited – even less than what we had available for the Kagoshima A5 event. If you really want to be first in line, we “golden ticket” that will provide the lucky purchaser exclusive first-in-line access to our Olive Wagyu event – stay tuned for more on that.
Q: What cuts will be available for purchase?
A: All A5 Wagyu cuts we offer will come from the rib, strip and tenderloin subprimals. Our steaks will be cut in the exact style and tradition of Japanese steakhouses. That means the Rib Steaks will be cut approximately ¾” thick, as will the Strip/Sirloin steaks; and the Tenderloin steaks will be 1½” - 2” thick. As you’re probably thinking right now, this is thinner than a traditional American steak, and the reason is that Japanese cuisine simply has a different tradition. We want to be true to that.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: You’ll have to wait and see when the event launches, sorry!
Q: How much will you have for sale?
A: If you shopped our first Olive Wagyu sale, you know it disappeared pretty quick. We have a lot more this time around, but still expect it to sell out pretty quickly.
Q: How does Olive Wagyu compare to Kobe Beef and Kagoshima A5 Wagyu?
A: Olive Wagyu, Kobe Beef and Kagoshima Wagyu are all fantastic manifestations of some of the best beef in the world, and all come from the Kuroge Washu breed of cattle. Kuroge Washu, or black wagyu, originated in Japan and is known across the world for its unique intramuscular fat & marbling. However, while each of these types of beef share that common thread, they each have unique qualities and flavor profiles resulting from the unique inputs and geographies that go into producing each. Perhaps the biggest differentiator however is the supply, with Olive Wagyu production being a fraction of the other two, and having never been made available to kitchens across America. Until now, anyway.
Q: When will Olive Wagyu orders be fulfilled?
A: The week of September 9th.
Q: How should I prepare Olive Wagyu?
A: We’ve put together some videos on properly defrosting and cooking your Olive Wagyu, so that you experience this steak properly. See How to Prepare and Enjoy A5 Wagyu.