A brand of black wagyu from Nagano. The cattle are raised on feed that includes by-products of the prefecture's food industry, such as apple pomace from juice making and the soybean broth from miso and soy sauce production. Standards call for shipping at 28 to 32 months, fattening on designated farms within the prefecture, and a grade of 4 or higher. The fat has a low melting point, giving a smooth taste that is not heavy.
Sources: go-nagano.net meats-town.com
This moment in the journey
Shinshu beef sukiyaki
Dinner was sukiyaki with beef from Nagano. I sliced a leek on the board and arranged maitake mushrooms and leek on a plate, then set the pan on a tabletop burner and laid the beef in the sweet soy broth.
Shinshu beef is a premium brand from Nagano, also known as "apple-fed beef" because the cattle are raised on feed that includes apple pomace. I cracked an egg into a bowl, beat it with chopsticks, dipped the simmered beef in it, and took a bite. It was astonishingly tender.
Into the pan went tofu, maitake and rounds of leek, with more beef added as I went. I like sukiyaki because you get to enjoy the cooking itself: the sound of the simmering, the meat changing color.
Watch this scene on YouTube4:49
More notes from this journey
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From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
Shiojiri, Nagano
Shinshu beef sukiyaki
Nagano's "apple-fed Shinshu beef" is black wagyu that meets standards set by a producers' association; the cattle are fed by-products of the prefecture's food i…
From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
Shiojiri, Nagano
Narai-juku
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From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
Shiojiri, Nagano
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From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
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Pickled nozawana
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From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
Shiojiri, Nagano
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From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
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From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
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From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
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From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
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From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa