The First Shipments Of American Wagyu Beef Only Come From This State

Have you ever tried authentic wagyu beef? The internet has been buzzing about wagyu and Kobe beef for years, yet most of us have never had the opportunity. Kobe beef is a specific type of wagyu from Japan, whereas wagyu refers to a Japanese breed of cattle, which can technically be raised anywhere. Wagyu is known for its exceptional marbling and flavor, the result of careful raising methods that adhere to strict standards. The beef is typically expensive and scarce, but it is becoming increasingly available as more farms in the United States raise wagyu. But if you want beef that's certified as authentic American wagyu through the American Wagyu Association, then you'll be ordering it only from the state of Vermont.

Vermont Wagyu was the first farm in the United States to receive this certification for raising 100% wagyu beef. The cattle are DNA certified to be full-blooded wagyu, with lineages tracing back to Japan and no crossbreeding, so it's as authentic as it gets. Vermont Wagyu's beef is often rated above Prime by USDA standards. As a result, the USDA added a new upper Prime tier in 2024 to categorize high-quality wagyu.

As you might expect since all wagyu is expensive, the first certified wagyu beef in America isn't coming cheap. A single certified flat iron wagyu steak between ¾ and 1¼ pounds will cost you $60. A pair of 8-ounce burger patties costs $14. If you want to go way over the top with a three-pound tomahawk steak, you're looking at $199.

If you have purchased wagyu before, you might think something seems off here. Wagyu has been available in America for years, hasn't it? And in other states as well? That's all true. Snake River Farms in Idaho has been breeding wagyu since the 1980s, but they crossbreed their cattle, so it's not full-blooded wagyu. Lone Mountain Cattle Company in Nevada sells full-blooded wagyu and has done so since the early 2000s, but they haven't received certification from the American Wagyu Association like Vermont Wagyu has.

The certification process only rolled out on September 8, 2025. Inevitably, one wagyu producer was going to be the first to be certified, and that honor went to Vermont Wagyu. Others will follow suit. The American Wagyu Association website has a map showing hundreds of other farms interested in certification. The certification process isn't short, as it involves tracing every cow enrolled to guarantee it meets standards.

For consumers, the certification guarantees authentic, full-blooded wagyu beef rated above Prime by USDA standards. It's similar to how Japan uses an A5 rating for its authentic wagyu. It is also a slow rollout. Even Vermont Wagyu admits that not all their products have received the certified label yet, though they meet the same strict standards. With that in mind, if you are in the market for wagyu beef, the map shows many farms across the country that raise it. This allows you to see where you might be able to source wagyu in the future, if you're interested.