Buying A5 Wagyu in France: How to Avoid Pitfalls
A5 Wagyu has become a coveted item. But with the craze, scams are multiplying: "Wagyu" stamped on crossbred American beef, fake certifications, disguised origins. Our guide to buying the real thing.
What is A5 Wagyu?
Grade A5 is the highest classification for Japanese beef, awarded by the Japan Meat Grading Association. It means:
- A: best yield grade
- 5: best quality grade (marbling, color, firmness, brightness)
The marbling (BMS) reaches 8 to 12, almost mythical in Western butchery.
The 4 Official Wagyu Breeds
- Kuroge (Japanese Black), 90% of Wagyu, Kobe, Matsusaka, Omi, Yonezawa, Kagoshima breeds
- Akage (Japanese Red), Kumamoto breed
- Tankaku (Japanese Shorthorn)
- Mukaku (Japanese Polled)
Our Selection: The Best Farms, Full Traceability
Rather than chasing the lowest price, we've made a different choice: to work with only a handful of exceptional farms and guarantee complete traceability, from the farmer to your plate.
- Carefully selected farms in Kagoshima and Miyazaki, the most renowned prefectures for A5 Wagyu.
- Certificate of authenticity for each piece, with the individual Japanese identification number (birth, rearing, slaughter).
- Strict selection based on breed (Kuroge), A5 grade, and marbling score (BMS).
- Direct sourcing, without intermediaries: we know each farmer and each batch.
- Full traceability and controlled cold chain until delivery.
How to Verify Authenticity?
- Certificate of origin with individual identification number (Japan, national database)
- Prefectural seal (Kobe, Matsusaka, Kagoshima, Miyazaki)
- Color: light red, never dark (sign of oxidation)
- Marbling: fine, regular white veins, never large fat patches
How to Cook A5 Wagyu?
The golden rule: less is more. The fat melts at 25°C, so:
- Remove from fridge 30 min before cooking
- Salt very lightly, just before cooking
- Sear over high heat for 60-90 seconds per side
- Rest for 3 min
- Cut into thin slices
- Serve with a little Naogen salt or Tamari Kaneiwa soy sauce
FoodHub: Real A5 Wagyu, Direct from Farmers
We import directly from Kagoshima and Miyazaki, without intermediaries. The result: authentic and fully traceable A5 Wagyu, from the farmer to your plate, an exceptional product, never an anonymous resale.
