Imperial American Wagyu Beef FAQs
Have questions about our products?
Navigate the topics below for more information on Wagyu, what makes it so delicious, preparation tips, and more.
What is Wagyu beef?
How do you pronounce "Wagyu"?
How does the flavor of American Wagyu compare with other types of beef?
What is the difference between Wagyu and Angus beef?
How do I properly prepare Wagyu beef?
Do I have to go to a restaurant to try Wagyu beef?
Where can I find Imperial American Wagyu Beef products?
How is Imperial American Wagyu Beef graded?
What is Natural beef?
What is a 100% Vegetarian Diet?
Where are Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle born and raised?
Do Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle receive added hormones?
Are antibiotics used in the Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle-raising process?
Are Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle grass fed?
Is Imperial American Wagyu Beef USDA Certified Organic?
Is Imperial American Wagyu Beef GMO-Free?
What is Wagyu beef?
Wagyu beef comes from a particular breed of Japanese cattle and is known for exceptional amounts of marbling and melt-in-your-mouth qualities. In fact, the word “Wagyu” is Japanese for “Japanese cow.”
In the United States, American Wagyu beef is produced by crossbreeding black or brown Japanese Wagyu cattle with high-quality Angus cattle. Learn more about Wagyu beef here.
How do you pronounce "Wagyu"?
The phonetic spelling of Wagyu is wāɡyo͞o, pronounced “waa-gyoo.”
How does the flavor of American Wagyu compare with other types of beef?
American Wagyu beef is often sought out specifically for its unique flavor, which many describe as buttery and melt-in-your mouth. This is due to its high amounts of marbling. Learn more about Wagyu beef here.
What is the difference between Wagyu and Angus beef?
Wagyu and Angus are breeds of cattle. “Wagyu” refers to Japanese cattle, whereas “Angus” refers to high-quality cattle originally from Scotland. In the United States, Wagyu and Angus cattle are often bred to produce highly marbled, tender American Wagyu beef.
How do I properly prepare Wagyu beef?
Preparing Wagyu beef is similar to preparing other types of beef. Learn more here.
Do I have to go to a restaurant to try Wagyu beef?
Since Wagyu beef is commonly seen as a luxury item, you might assume you can only get it at restaurants. However, American Wagyu beef can make any gathering or meal extra special, and it’s easy to prepare yourself. Find Imperial American Wagyu products near you or shop online here.
Where can I find Imperial American Wagyu Beef products?
We partner with retailers and restaurants across the country. Visit our Where to Buy page to locate Imperial American Wagyu products.
How is Imperial American Wagyu Beef graded?
Quality is paramount to ensuring consistent flavor, which led us to develop our own grading system based on the more rigorous Japanese Beef Marbling Standards (BMS) scale. Our staff evaluates marbling and sorts the beef into one of four in-house quality grades, using the Japanese BMS Scale.
Market: Our Market score is equivalent to a USDA Choice grade or a “Small to Moderate” marbling score, or a 4 on the Japanese BMS Scale.
Classic: Our Classic score is equivalent to a USDA Prime grade, or a “Slightly Abundant to Abundant” marbling score, or a 5, 6, or 7 on the Japanese BMS Scale.
Signature: Our Signature grade is equivalent to a USDA “Very Abundant” marbling score, or a 8 or 9 on the Japanese BMS Scale.
Reserve: The highest marbled beef sold by Imperial American Wagyu. Our Reserve grade is equivalent to a USDA “Extremely Abundant” marbling score, or a 10 or 10+ on the Japanese BMS Scale.
It is important to know that other American Wagyu programs have different systems and sorts for grading. Please review the terminology and grading systems between different suppliers in order to make the best comparisons on quality grade.
What is Natural beef?
Our Natural Wagyu beef is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients or added colors, as defined by the USDA.
What is a 100% Vegetarian Diet?
Imperial American Wagyu cattle are on a 100% vegetarian fed diet, meaning that the cattle never receive any animal proteins, by-products, or food waste in their diet.
Where are Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle born and raised?
Imperial American Wagyu Beef are born and raised on family farms across the United States.
Do Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle receive added hormones?
Imperial American Wagyu cattle never receive or are fed added hormones throughout their lives.
Are antibiotics used in the Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle-raising process?
When a herd or a member of a herd is ill, our Partner-Producers evaluate each circumstance carefully to determine if, when, and how to administer antibiotics. Antibiotics may be used to prevent, treat, and control disease and are always administered under the oversight of a veterinarian. When administering antibiotics, Partner-Producers adhere to usage guidelines that have been rigorously tested and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Are Imperial American Wagyu Beef cattle grass fed?
No, our cattle consume forage in their lifetime, but they are grain finished. Therefore, we do not make a grass fed and finished, or 100% grass fed claim.
Is Imperial American Wagyu Beef USDA Certified Organic?
No, we do not make an Organic claim. Currently, our program protocol does not require that our producers include non-GMO grass and forage sources in the feeding regimen.
Is Imperial American Wagyu Beef GMO-Free?
No, we do not make a non-GMO claim. Our program protocol does not require that our producers include GMO-free forage or feed in the feeding regimen.
