7 things to note about the one-of-a-kind Matsusaka Beef

You’ve probably heard of the first two premium beefs: Kobe and Ohmi (also known as Yonezawa beef - Waku Ghin serves it), but Matsusaka is lesser known as it is produced in a smaller quantity. Don’t poo-poo it though, it’s prized beef, and one of Japan’s best kept secrets. They all fall under wagyu (certain breeds of Japanese cows), but are given their names based on the region they come from. Matsusaka Cattle are born in Hyogo Prefecture and bred in the Matsusaka production area.
Tip: Australian and American wagyu are usually cross-breeds, imports from Japan. Pure wagyu comes with certification, so check for that before you shell out the big bucks!

To earn their certification of “special grade Matsusaka cattle”, they cows have to be raised over 900 days. That’s 10 months longer than their regular counterparts. This unusually long process helps increase their body fat, changing the taste and texture of the meat.
Fun fact: Rather than a thumbprint, the cows imprint their certificate with their noses!

Other beef, including Kobe, use both heifers (young female cows) and steers (castrated male cows), but Matsusaka wagyu comes only from virgin heifers, which makes a difference in flavour and texture too.

These black-haired cattle are prized because so few of them are slaughtered every year. In the past, they only slaughtered 2,500 a year, but have since brought that number up to 4,000. For Japan Food Town’s fair, they’ve brought in just one cow. Just. One. Which is why only 10 out of the 16 restaurants will be producing new dishes for this week.

Raised indoors and in ridiculously clean barns, the cows are fed with a diet of rice straw grown in the farmer’s own backyard, a mix of soybean meal, wheat bran and barley. But that’s not all, they’re also fed beer, given massages and sprayed with shochu (rice brandy) to create that beautiful marbling and a fine fragrance you find in this high-quality meat.

The best way to taste it is at one of the 10 restaurants at Japan Food Town. Shabu Shabu Tajimaya (#04-41) will be serving an all-you-can-eat shabu shabu and sukiyaki meal centred around this meat. Prices start from $50.90. It’s the perfect way to try it as you blanch the thinly sliced beef in a sweet broth for just a few seconds. The robust flavour hits you with just the first bite. You can also get steaks of this meat from Bonta Bonta (#04-39) from $65, and Osaka Kitchen (#04-46) from $150.

Auctioned off at the highest prices, it’s really a privilege to try this magnificent premium beef, and it also requires very deep pockets. But Japan Food Town also provides affordable options for those who want their taste of this beef: Machida Shoten (#04-40) will serve the Matsusaka Ushi Bun for just $9.80, you can get the Roast Matsusaka Beef Uni Ikura Don at Tempura Tsukiji Tenka (#04-42) for $39.80 with dessert, miso soup, salad and pickles, and a bento box at Bar Nippon (#04-49) for $29.

For more information on what the other restaurants are carrying, visit www.japanfoodtown.sg. Visit Japan Food Town at level 4, Wisma Atria