Is Costco's A5 Japanese Wagyu The Real Deal?

As savvy internet consumers and shoppers in this modern age, it's important to be a bit skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true. But in a world of Amazon dupes, Shein flops, and online dating catfishes, we know that our beloved Costco would never deceive us, especially when it comes to selling a prized cut of meat. The purveyor of prime steaks is selling A5 Japanese Wagyu New York strip steaks for just over $125 per pound, as well as three pounds of A5 Ribeyes for $469.99. While these prices might shock you, they are actually an incredibly good deal compared to most Japanese-imported steaks in the U.S.

The retailer's A5 Japanese Wagyu is indeed the real deal, making it one of the meats you should buy at Costco. The company provides extensive details about the beef on its website, which should put pessimistic buyers at ease. The meat is from Kagoshima in Southern Japan and has received the exalted A5 grade in Japan before being exported. "Kagoshima's consistent temperate climate and ecology are well-suited for raising healthy cattle with low stress levels, a necessary component of achieving A5 quality," according to Costco's website. 

If you're not familiar with Wagyu, you may be wondering why it's so expensive and if it's worth the price. While the USDA has only three levels of beef grading, with Prime being the best, Japan's A5 grade is the highest of out an entire 12 levels of grading, making it a truly stellar and exceptional cut of beef.

Among the facts you should know about Wagyu beef, the word simply translates to "Japanese cow," but there is so much more than the term's significance in the global meat industry. The marbling seen in Wagyu differs from the fat seen in other types of beef as it is intramuscular fat, which means the fat is actually embedded into the muscle, rather than layered in between different muscles like most other types of beef. This marbling in the muscle allows the fat to seemingly melt into the meat itself when cooked, giving the steak an intensely butter-like texture and taste.

There is a pricey difference between American and Japanese Wagyu steak, and for good reason. Japanese Wagyu is beef that's imported directly from the country, meeting all the strict standards of raising the cattle and scoring the grade of the meat, while American Wagyu comes from a lineage of Japanese cattle that are raised and butchered in the U.S., which generally lacks the same high standards in living conditions of Japanese cattle. This makes Wagyu beef imported directly from Japan more expensive and, generally, a higher quality and more elevated product.

This is why buying A5 Wagyu from Costco isn't cheap, but still an excellent deal for this superior product. Before you venture out to Costco to score a cut of A5, brush up on what you should look for when buying Wagyu beef so you can make the best selection.