Protected local food
Kagoshima Wagyu
鹿児島黒牛
Black Wagyu from Kagoshima, known in Japan as Kagoshima Kuroushi. The meat is fine and tender, and its fat melts at a low temperature. It was overall champion at the 2017 national Wagyu show.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 15 December 2017
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 鹿児島黒牛
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 鹿児島県内
What makes it special
The meat is fine-grained and tender, with well-balanced marbling. Its fat is rich in unsaturated fatty acids that melt at a low temperature, so it feels like it melts on the tongue. At the 11th National Wagyu Show in 2017 it won the best carcass prize and the overall title.
A whole prefecture behind it
Kagoshima began keeping its breeding bulls under prefectural ownership in 1962 and set up a breeding bull association in 1985. Farmers follow a shared feeding manual and train every year. The beef has been sold under the Kagoshima Kuroushi name since 1986.
Good to know
- Ask for "kuroushi" (black cattle) on menus in Kagoshima. Shabu-shabu and yakiniku are easy ways to try it.
- Other Wagyu to compare: Maesawa Beef from Iwate and Kumamoto Akaushi, a leaner red Wagyu.
Questions travellers ask
Is Kagoshima Kuroushi the same as Kagoshima Wagyu?
Yes. Kagoshima Kuroushi is the Japanese name, and Kagoshima Wagyu is the registered English name.
Why does the fat melt so easily?
It contains unsaturated fatty acids with a low melting point.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.