Wagyu. Marketing term for richly marbled beef that comes from the same cattle as Kobe beef but costs somewhat less. Though both Kobe and Wagyu beef come from the Wagyu bull (the word Wagyu simply means “Japanese cattle”), Kobe beef must come from cattle actually raised in Kobe, in accordance with severe, A.O.C.-like production strictures, whereas Waygu beef can come from cattle raised in the United States. Snobs, though they consider certified Kobe beef a vulgar folly for expense-account schmucks, are more kindly disposed towards Wagyu, and are keen to flaunt their knowledge that the beef is best served Japanese-style—sliced thinly and either quickly seared or served raw, sashimi-style—rather than cooked as a slab in the broiler.
