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Diet-wise, most Hanwoo cattle, just like Wagyu, are fed beer-enriched feed. The alcohol is thought to help the beef maintain a juicy texture. Although both Wagyu and Hanwoo rely on a grain diet, the former consumes more corn whereas the latter consumes more oats.
Many of those who had the chance to taste Hanwoo has claimed it is just as good as the Japanese Wagyu. As the Japanese Wagyu cattle are the offspring of Korean Hanwoo, you can find the taste to be similar to Wagyu, but with a beefier taste. This is because Hanwoo contains less fat when compared to Wagyu. Take a ribeye, for example. A Wagyu ribeye has roughly 70% fat, whereas Hanwoo ribeye has anywhere from 40% to 50% fat, with the remainder being protein. This unique fat-to-protein ratio of the it gives it a distinct taste as the fat on Hanwoo is just enough to not overpower the taste of beef itself. Hanwoo is perfect for someone who wants something less beefy than U.S. beef but at the same time not as fatty as Wagyu. For many, Hanwoo perfectly combines the best quality of Wagyu and U.S. beef.
Unlike the practices in the U.S., Korea gives very special attention to each cattle. Each cattle has its own electronic ID registered in the national database which details the care, shots received, and treatment history of each animal.
After thorough consideration, Kim’C Market picked Sulsung Farm as our Korean Hanwoo producer for our customers in the U.S. Sulsung Farm is located in Hoengseong County, best known for its Hanwoo cattle, where the environment is well-suited for cattle farming. Unlike other farms, Sulsung’s cattle have balanced marbling as they are raised on pasture and eat healthy grains. Roaming free on large land, dining well under the care of experienced management, science shows the cattle at Sulsung Farm have low stress levels, resulting in happy cattle.
Sulsung is one of the two farms that Hyundai Department Store (현대백화점), a highly selective curator, picked as its supplier. Orga (올가), the most prominent organic food retailer chain in Korea, recognized Sulsung’s animal well-being program. Sulsung Hanwoo are given no antibiotics or hormone shots, ever.
Korea’s pride and joy
Hanwoo cattle — Photo courtesy of iStock / VDCM
Sporting a golden brown coat to mirror its golden price tag, Hanwoo is among the oldest indigenous cattle breeds in the world. These cows have roamed around South Korea for more than two millennia and were primarily used for rice farming until the 1960s, when South Koreans began to consume more red meat.
Since then, Hanwoo has become the quintessential way to spoil your partner on a date night or your family during the holiday.
“People in South Korea love to eat Hanwoo when they go out to dinner,” says Jaeyoung Lee, the executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. “Many people prefer Hanwoo because Kobe is considered too greasy.”
FAQ
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