Why Is Wagyu Beef Aged In SnowWhy Is Wagyu Beef Aged In Snow
So you may have heard of dry-aged, wet-aged, and even whisky-aged beef. But have you heard of snow-aged beef? While it may sound quite unusual to some, the process of aging beef in snow, particularly the highly prized Wagyu beef, has been recently aged through a technique that has long been practiced in Japan for 200 years, especially in the wintry regions like Niigata. And they call this method of aging and storing as “Yukimoro”.
But why is Wagyu beef aged in snow? And what is the advantage of preserving meat through this process in terms of the taste, texture, and quality of the beef?
If you’re interested to know more, we invite you to continue reading as we’ll explore this Japanese meat-aging technique in today’s post.
What Is Yukimoro?
Yukimoro is a traditional aging process wherein various kinds of produce are preserved inside a snow-covered room. And this technique maintains the internal temperature between 0 to 5 degrees Celsius which allows the food to age naturally even during harsh weather conditions outside.
The technique of snow-aging Wagyu beef was introduced by Takashi Uono of Uoshoku Meat in 2011. He developed a process wherein the prized beef through the Yuimoro method for 30 days to allow oxygen to break down fibers while tenderizing the meat at the same time.
So How Come Wagyu Is Preserved Using This Method?
As the meat is stored inside a room with consistent temperature, the state inside creates a condition called “seichi” in which the Wagyu beef retains about 90% of the surrounding moisture that causes the meat to be sweeter in taste and crisper in texture. Plant products like rice, buckwheat, daikon, and carrots become sweeter due to the process called saccharification, while meat like Wagyu can be aged while maintaining its moisture through snow-aging.
After the meat is aged inside the Yukimoro-style storage for 30 days, the beef will be moist and tender as previously mentioned while the flavor of the meat becomes richer and more mellow due to the breaking down proteins which releases more amino acids resulting in a more profound umami.
And according to experts, aging meat in a high-humidity environment creates a subtle and silky flavor, which cannot be achieved through a dry-aging process that normally produces a funkier scent and taste. In addition, the fattiness of the meat doesn’t coat your mouth with unpleasant stickiness because although the meat is fatty is extremely succulent with full beef flavor – Which is why this variety of Wagyu beef is now considered as one of the most exclusive and expensive due to its distinct quality.
Why Is Snow Beef One Of The Most Expensive Varieties Of Wagyu Beef?
The texture and taste of snow-aged Wagyu is definitely something to die for. But the process of creating such a flavorful state is also the reason why this kind of beef is pricey, mainly:
- Yukimoro technique is becoming a lost practice, hence producing snow-aged Wagyu limited as opposed to the demand, especially here in the United States.
- Unlike modern refrigeration techniques, the Yukimoro-style storage maintains a stable temperature which is ideal for natural aging Wagyu beef.
- Also, the Yukimoro technique allows stress-free meat aging and ripening as the beef is not affected by changes in temperature because of the refrigerator light and vibrations from the motor.
- Yukimoro doesn’t use electricity or fuel because snow is naturally produced by the environment. Hence, this process doesn’t produce harmful carbon dioxide emissions.
If you’re interested in how much wagyu beef cost per pound in the US, you can check out Maries River Wagyu’s website today.
