Gourmands will instantly get a picture of moist, melt-in-your-mouth, satiny beef the moment they hear the word "Wagyu."
Synonymous with fine dining, this Japanese beef, you'll be surprised to learn, has a history spanning more than a thousand years, but only in the 20th century was it "created."
Given how popular this Japanese beef is, it has a checkered history: the food product was prohibited in Japan from 1635 to 1838 by order of the Shogun. Moreover, Buddhist practices and influences in the country also barred the consumption of beef. Agricultural concerns, such as the lack of ample grazing ground for cattle -- since the Japanese's primary goal was the cultivation of rice, the country's staple dietary food -- could have also led to the prohibition on raising and eating beef.
