There is a certain mythology associated with Wagyu cattle — or perhaps it would be better to say legend, as legends have some basis in truth. Among these are stories of Wagyu feeding on beer and receiving regular massages. While there is a kernel of truth in these tales, that truth is less glamorous than the folklore. When Japan’s intensely humid summers depressed cattle’s appetites, Japanese farmers found that a measure of beer could stimulate the cattle to eat; beer was never a significant part of the diet. Similarly, the fabled massages are necessitated by the fact that Wagyu in Japan are often kept in small pens or otherwise confined with little or no opportunity to exercise throughout their lives.

Another example would be the notion that Wagyu cattle are the result of centuries of Japanese efforts to produce the most exquisite beef cattle on earth, when in fact the Japanese have been vegetarians for much of their history. The Japanese did breed cattle very skillfully over the centuries, but the object was to develop working qualities of these animals, not eating quality. Japan’s emphasis on developing the very best beef cattle is very real, but it is relatively recent.

The Wagyu’s tendency to marble intensely was originally a side-effect of Japanese efforts to product the best draught animals. Careful, selective breeding, supervised by local officials, led to the emergence of strains of cattle with tremendous power to pull loads and with great stamina. The Wagyu’s natural tendency to develop fat within muscles (marbling), rather than around and between the muscles provided a ready source of energy that delivered strength and stamina in periods of intense work demand. Today, this Wagyu tendency toward intense marbling produces the world’s finest beef.