Wagyu

Myth: Wagyu is banned in the U.S.

Fact: It's true that Wagyu DNA and live animals are permanently banned for export from Japan, but the meat is not. Sometimes there’s confusion because there was a ban on the meat for a while, too, but it ended in 2012 when exports resumed.

So what's the deal with Wagyu? The word itself means "Japanese cow" and is the name given to cattle breeds developed in Japan. There are four breeds of Japanese cattle that can be called Wagyu, but the Kuroge-washu breed, or Japanese Black, stands apart for its genetic predisposition to create finely grained marbling.

Longer days, warmer nights — summer is officially here (and hopefully a lot more fun than the last)! From our carefully curated grilling bundles to low and slow smoking cuts, we’ve got everything you need to host an epic summer cookout for your friends and family.

The USDA grading system rewards marbling above all else, so the eight "grades" that a cut could receive will prize a heavily marbled cut of meat, regardless of the history or flavor. This results in commercial feedlots forcefeeding grain pellets to fatten the cows faster while keeping them confined to small pens.