Rare. Delicious. Umami. Olive Wagyu, the world’s rarest beef, is back—and only Crowd Cow has it.
In April, we offered Olive Wagyu for the first time ever in the United States and our extremely limited supply sold out quickly. Only a small amount of Olive Wagyu is available at a time because only a few farmers raise it. We’re thrilled to announce that we will be offering Olive Wagyu for the second time! Our Olive Wagyu special events are limited to current Steak Holders.
Raised by a handful of farms in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, Olive Wagyu is the pinnacle of craft beef luxury. Kuroge-washu cattle (the same breed that produces Kobe Beef) meet a special diet of Inawara rice straw, Italian ryegrass, and upcycled olive pulp from the island’s olive oil factory, toasted and sweetened in the same tradition as Seto Inland Sea dried persimmons.
Japanese olive oil production began in 1908 when the Japanese government brought olive trees to Shodoshima, a mild climate more in line with the Mediterrannean than other areas of Japan. The bottled oil made its way to high-end kitchens around the world, while the leftover olive mash was discarded as waste. That is, until Masaki Ishii developed the toasting method that would turn olive waste into olive feed for delicious Olive Wagyu.
There are only 2200 Olive Wagyu cattle in the world, all raised on coastal Kagawa, with only a few harvested per month. It’s all about the monounsaturated fatty acids (the healthier fats) that come from their olive-based diet. At 65.2% of the fat content for Olive Wagyu cattle, the oleic acid provides exceptional softness and the rich umami flavor found only in Wagyu beef. The olives impart additional health benefits, making Olive Wagyu higher than Kobe or any other Japanese luxury beef in oleic acid and antioxidant components carnosine and anserine, which are known to promote positive cardiovascular health.
In July, we returned to Shodoshima with Mike Bagale, the former Executive Chef of the 3-Michelin Star restaurant Alinea, to visit Ishii-san, the inventor of Olive Wagyu, to meet with the Governor of Kagawa Prefecture, and to inspect and hand-select our individual cows. Crowd Cow is the only retail store for Olive Wagyu from Japan, which won “Best Fat Quality” at the Wagyu Olympics.
Olive Wagyu is ultra-delicious and ultra-rare. From bold umami flavors to melt-in-your-mouth textures, this is the epitome of premium craft beef. Just one bite is enough to blow your mind. Mark your calendar for 9:00am PDT on August, 26, 2018 because Olive Wagyu is back and it goes fast.
We’re offering the Golden Ticket experience to two lucky customers (one per coast), which includes first-in-line access to Olive Wagyu before anyone else, Crowd Cow concierge service of your order while you show and browse, and an incredible selection of hard-to-find mementos that will truly elevate your Olive Wagyu experience.
- An original, framed nose print certificate of an Olive Wagyu steer imported from Kagawa Prefecture by Crowd Cow, an incredibly unique momento
- Hand-forged steel Japanese “gyutou” butcher’s knife by Sugimoto-Hamano of Tokyo’s legendary Tsukiji fish market, paired with a Japanese wet stone sharpening block
- Premium olive oil produced on Shodoshima by the company whose olives are in the olive feed given to Olive Wagyu
- Extremely small batch, hand-harvested salt from Shodoshima (nearly impossible to purchase outside of Shodoshima!)
- Signed copy of our book, Craft Beef
- And more!
