Ole, Ole Ole Oleic Acid! The infamous fat.

At our butchery, some people give us this "wow, isn't that totally unhealthy" look when they see our marbled meat. Actually, that "fatty" meat is more known as marbled meat and all of our Wagyu and Black Angus beef is laden with this incredible thing called OLEIC ACID.

What is it? Oleic Acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that can be found in avocados, olive oil and table olives. It occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils and is an odorless, colorless oil. 

Oleic acid is by far the most widely distributed and abundant fatty acid in nature. The high content is found in olive oil, about 60-70%, but is present also in nut oil and almond (abundant), canola oil, sesame oil, cocoa butter, lard and, to a less extent, in palm oil, tallow, safflower oil and soybean oil. The chief sources of oleic acid in foods must be extra-virgin olive oil, the tastiest cooking oil.

What the health?

Oleic acid reduces blood pressure, increases fat burning to help with weight loss, protects cells from free radical damage, may prevent type 2 diabetes, prevents ulcerative colitis and generates brain myelin.

So what does all this have to do with meat?

Too much consumption of meat will indeed give you a heart attack. Well, that is only true when you are eating meat filled with saturated fat. However, in the case of Wagyu, the streak of fat interlaced within the lean meat which is known as shimofuri contains monosaturated fatty acids that are rich in Omega-3. According to studies, foods rich in Omega-3 are good for the heart because they contain good cholesterols. In a study conducted by the Japan Livestock Industry Association, Wagyu contains about 30% unsaturated fat which is higher than the Angus beef. It is also this high concentration of unsaturated fat that gives the savory taste (umami) rich flavor of Wagyu.

Deliciousness of Japanese black beef consists of the following factors: the taste and flavor that spread out in the mouth, and the smooth texture. Amino acids, including glutamic acid of meat, and the broth which contains inosine acid causes us sense the savoriness, and a lot of oleic acid which is a component of flavor is also much contained in WAGYU. Therefore, “Japanese black beef” is different from other species of cattle, but has a special deliciousness of its own.

What's it taste like?

Smooth velvety texture, juicy flavor, delicate but rich taste will linger on the palate. These unique characters are created by the large proportion of amino acids (the basis of its umami or savoriness) and unsaturated fat.

Is there such thing as too much fat?
The marbling fat in the beef is never too rich. Indeed, it will almost melt in your mouth as you put the piece in your mouth. The marbling is the evidence that cattle have been specially raised in the vast, lush wilderness using carefully selected feed, pure water, and clean air. We are sure that once you taste “Wagyu” Japanese beef, you will find the new value and taste of beef.
— quoted from the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan

Get healthy quality beef high in Oleic Acid now at La Carne!

Our fully grain-fed Japanese beef comes from Tokachi Poroshiri Mountain in Hokkaido, Japan with a marbling of A5 in Japan (equivalent to 12 in Australia)! Our other recommendations which include our Australian Wagyu and Angus cuts are all grass-fed and grain-finished for at least 100 days for the Angus and 450 days for Wagyu. Melt-in-the-mouth flavor also guaranteed!

Why shop at La Carne?

We are the only premium meat retailer selling high quality marbled Wagyu beef. Trained by Master Wagyu Butcher Ryuji Higashiyama, we are able to slice this incredible highly marbled Wagyu Beef into Shabu Shabu (Hotpot) slices, Yakiniku (BBQ) slices and Tataki blocks.

Order now and get a free Japanese ingredient for the month of August 2017, if you order online!

Online sources: 

• Japan Info. (2016, Nov 16). 3 Need-to-Know Myths About Japanese Wagyu Beef. Retrieved from http://jpninfo.com/31543
• Mooscience. Oleic Acid Health Benefits. Retrieved from http://mooscience.com/Oleic-Acid.html
• Tuscany Diet. OLEIC ACID: CHEMICAL STRUCTURE, PROPERTIES, SYNTHESIS, AND BENEFITS. Retrieved from http://www.tuscany-diet.net/lipids/list-of-fatty-acids/oleic/.
• The Wagyu. What's Wagyu A5? Retrieved from http://wagyu.gourmet55.com/en/whats-wagyu