What Makes Matsusaka Beef So Luxurious?

To many people, the name “Matsusaka” suggests the luxury Matsusaka beef that originated in the Edo era (1603‑1867), and became famous during the Meiji Era (1868‑1912). In order to explore the charm of this brand‑name beef that has long pleased gourmets’ palate, I paid my visit to its home in Taikicho.

Mild‑Tempered Heifers Raised with Lots of Love

“A good heifer’s got to have a broad shoulder with its hip bone buried under thick flesh. The one I showed at the “Matsusaka Beef Cattle Fair” the other day walked on a carpet in furisode, a formal kimono for young, unmarried women. Cattle usually can’t even walk straight, but this girl knows how to behave,” says Setsuo Nishimura, a 55-year veteran of Nanaho beef cattle production, while his eyes light up as if to brag about his own children. The “Matsusaka Beef Cattle Fair” (mentioned as “the Fair” from now on in this article) is an annual competition to judge heifers by their beauty and degree of muscling. At the 2019 Fair, “Itsuko,” raised by Nishimura, won the first prize – the prize awarded to the best heifer.

You have noticed by now that Matsusaka beef comes only from female cattle. For one thing, they produce tenderer meat, but for another, there is a history of using female cattle whose mild, obedient temperament was suitable for rice farming in Matsusaka. During the Meiji era, the Western diet was introduced to the country. Draft cattle were then fattened and bought up by livestock dealers, and, as I have heard, they were transported all the way to Tokyo on foot along the Tokaido road (514 km). Had they not been obedient and smart, it would have been a daunting task to walk them for such a long distance.

When I visited the cattle shed, the black heifers were quiet in their individual cubicles without a single sound of mooing. As Nishimura came in, however, they stuck out their heads and beg him to stroke them. Nishimura responded to their request by gently stroking their heads as he talked to them. I could feel just how much loving care these heifers were getting every day.

“You see, these girls’ horns stretch straight to both sides instead of growing upward. They were given their moms’ milk for a long time when they were calves, and that helps them grow into gentle heifers. Getting stroked by people within the first three months of their lives helps, too.”

In this area, the cattle growers purchase heifers when they are about three months old and raise them for about three years. Is it not sad to see them sold for beef after giving them so much care for a certain length of time? “Of course, it’s sad,” responds Nishimura with a hollow laugh.

A Tradition of Sharing and Enhancing Production Technology Together

According to Nishimura, although there are general guidelines for raising beef cattle, the amount of feed and timing of feeding vary among farmers. To produce delicious meat, it is important to choose the right feed and to know how to feed the cattle.

“The beef cattle diet is mainly straw, concentrated feed, and water. Since they are mixed and fermented in the stomachs to become nutrients for the body, low‑quality straw doesn’t stimulate bacterial growth needed for this process. Another thing is that cattle need a bit of stress so that their meat becomes marbled. So, at a certain time, we need to adjust feeding by limiting the amount they eat. If we give them too much of what they want, their meat doesn’t get marbled. On the other hand, if they are too fat, they stop eating. It’s a tough balancing act.”

After being raised with painstaking care, including superbly balanced feeding mastered by experience, the heifers that have grown exceptionally beautiful are presented at the Fair. The criteria for judging them are their degree of muscling, firmness, and density and softness of their coats – called “ogoro fur (mole’s fur).” Normally, beef cattle are auctioned after their carcasses are split down the middle so that the marbling inside can be checked. Matsusaka beef cattle, however, have traditionally been auctioned while they are alive; they are therefore judged only by their appearance.

“We know roughly how much meat we can get from a heifer, but when it comes to the extent of marbling, even we are not sure. So, we ask butchers to let us know what kind of meat they got from our heifers, and if there are issues, we will think what we could have done to make it better. We get together often at Nanaho area group meetings to share information on production technology. We are rivals at the Fair, but it makes sense to improve our production technology together for the overall development of the area.”

Nishimura says that the Fair itself started in the hopes of raising good heifers in the whole Matsusaka area. The key to the successful climb of Matsusaka beef to one of Japan’s leading brand names may have been the cultivation of the local farmers’ aspirations for mutual enhancement.

Enjoying Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki as Part of Daily Life Experience

In Taikicho, there is a place where you can enjoy Matsusaka beef as part of a “hands‑on Sukiyaki experience.” The place is called “Taikicho Nippon Ichi no Furusatomura,” an experience‑focused guest house run by Etsuo Seko, a native of this town, and his wife, Yukiko. The program offered here is not only to eat sukiyaki but also to harvest vegetables and cook rice on a traditional kamado cookstove. In this way, guests can enjoy exquisite Matsusaka beef sukiyaki together with the experience of countryside life.

The first step is to get water for cooking rice. The spring water used around here is known as the water of perpetual youth and longevity. Before drawing it, prayers are offered to the jizo bodhisattva statue to express gratitude for nature’s blessings.

Then, guests head for the farm to harvest vegetables. Japanese leeks, Daikon radishes, nappa cabbage, spinach, garland chrysanthemum, shiitake mushrooms grown on logs―about eight different kinds of seasonal vegetables can be harvested. “Many of our organic vegetables are wormy, which is a good sign that they are tasty,” laughs Yukiko mischievously. Sukiyaki with plenty of home‑grown vegetables is how it is served at this guest house.

The kamado is prepared to boil rice on it. It is a rare experience even for Japanese people to use a traditional Japanese cookstove that is seldom found these days. Hagama rice pots are placed on the stove, and logs are put on the fire below. A blissful sound of logs crackling inside the stove is an exciting reminiscence of the sound of everyday life in bygone days.

“The heat in the stove starts low and gradually intensifies, which is ideal for cooking rice. People often say, ‘Low first, and then go high,’ but we don’t need to adjust the heat manually because the logs do it for us.”

Rice is done in no time, and now it is time to cook sukiyaki. “To better appreciate the excellent taste of Matsusaka beef, I would like you to try it this way first,” says Yukiko as she methodically grills beef. What a surprise that a slice of hot grilled beef melts away and disappears in my mouth!

While I am still enjoying the lingering sensation of the grilled beef, the sukiyaki is all set to sizzle in the pot. The harvested vegetables are also thrown in generously. As I eat sukiyaki after dipping it in a beaten raw egg, Yukiko gives me advice: “Try a beaten egg over rice at the end of the meal. It’s great!” Mochi rice cakes are later added to the sukiyaki, and it looks gorgeous.

It is also wonderful to learn about such local customs with the sizzling sound of sukiyaki in the background.

During the past few years, Taikicho has welcomed an increasing number of foreign visitors who come on foot along the Kumano Kodo Iseji route (70 km) or who enjoy trail running on the surrounding mountains. “These days, as we receive guests from various countries, we enjoy listening to stories about their countries we didn’t know anything about. Thanks to our translating machine, we can communicate without feeling nervous. We also cook their traditional food with them to share food cultures.”

Etsuo and Yukiko seem to be enjoying meeting people wholeheartedly. That must be why even first‑time visitors find this guest house so welcoming that they can spend a relaxing time with them the same way they would at their extended family home.

The best way to enjoy good local food is to take a deep breath of fresh air around the place and to feel the everyday life of local people. Perhaps such an immersion experience gives a different flavor to Matsusaka beef.