Wagyu Beef Explained: What A5 Means, and Wagyu vs Angus
Wagyu beef explained: what wagyu is, what A5 means, how it differs from Angus, and the wagyu and Angus dishes on the Toki menu in Jeddah, from dim sum to mains.
. 7 min read
Wagyu is beef from Japanese cattle breeds, famous for its marbling: fine threads of fat that run through the meat and melt as it cooks, so the beef tastes soft and rich. Angus is a Scottish breed with less marbling and a firmer, beefier bite.
Toki, a Chinese restaurant on King Abdulaziz Road in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah, selected in the MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia, cooks with both. This guide explains what wagyu is, what grades such as A5 mean, how wagyu compares with Angus beef, and the nine wagyu and Angus dishes on the Toki menu.
What is wagyu?
Wagyu means Japanese cattle: wa means Japanese and gyu means cattle or beef. The name covers four native Japanese breeds, and their beef is prized for dense marbling that gives it a buttery texture.
The four breeds are Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn and Japanese Polled. Japanese Black makes up the large majority of wagyu raised in Japan, and it is the breed behind the most heavily marbled beef.
Marbling is fat stored inside the muscle. In wagyu beef it is fine and evenly spread, and it melts at a lower temperature than most beef fat, which is why a good wagyu steak seems to soften in the mouth. Wagyu cattle are now raised outside Japan too, often crossed with other breeds, so the word wagyu on its own describes the cattle, not where they were raised.
What does A5 wagyu mean?
A5 is the highest grade in the Japanese grading system. The letter, from A to C, rates yield, meaning how much usable meat comes from the animal, and the number, from 1 to 5, rates meat quality. A5 means top yield and top quality.
The quality number is judged on four things:
- Marbling: scored on the Beef Marbling Standard, a scale from 1 to 12. Beef only reaches quality grade 5 with a marbling score of 8 or more.
- Meat colour and brightness: the shade and sheen of the lean meat.
- Firmness and texture: how firm and fine-grained the meat is.
- Fat colour and quality: the colour, lustre and quality of the fat.
Other countries grade wagyu on their own scales, so a grade only means something next to the system it comes from. Toki’s menu does not state a grade or origin for its wagyu, so ask your server if you want to know more.
What is the difference between wagyu and Angus?
Wagyu has much more marbling, so it is softer, richer and best in smaller portions. Angus, a breed from northeast Scotland now raised around the world, has moderate marbling, a firmer texture and a more classic beef flavour.
- Origin: the wagyu breeds come from Japan. Angus comes from the counties of Aberdeen and Angus in Scotland, and most Angus cattle are black, which is why you often see the name Black Angus.
- Marbling: wagyu is heavily marbled. Angus beef marbles well compared with many breeds, but far less than top wagyu.
- Texture: wagyu is soft and almost melting. Angus has more chew and holds its shape.
- Flavour: wagyu tastes rich and buttery. Angus tastes beefier and more savoury.
- In the kitchen: wagyu suits short cooking and sharp sauces that cut its richness. Angus stands up to crisp frying, braising and bold glazes.
How does Chinese cooking handle marbled beef?
Chinese kitchens usually slice beef thin, cook it fast over high heat and pair it with strong, savoury sauces. Black pepper and fermented black beans are two classic partners, because their sharpness and salt balance the richness of the fat.
- Black pepper: black pepper beef is a Cantonese restaurant favourite, with beef and onion in a glossy sauce built on cracked pepper. The heat of the pepper keeps rich beef from feeling heavy.
- Black bean: Chinese black beans are soybeans fermented with salt. They bring a deep, salty flavour, and beef in black bean sauce with green peppers is a Cantonese classic.
- A fast wok: thin slices seared for seconds in a very hot wok brown on the outside and stay tender inside. Read more in what is a wok and wok hei.
Which wagyu dishes does Toki serve?
Toki serves wagyu in four dishes: Black Pepper Wagyu Tenderloin and Wagyu Butter Black Beans from the land, the Wagyu ‘Shen Jing’ Bun among the starters, and the Toki Pink Puff Dumpling in the dim sum.
Black Pepper Wagyu Tenderloin is Toki’s take on Cantonese black pepper beef, made with wagyu beef, onion, garlic and black pepper sauce. As a main of tenderloin in a pepper sauce, it is the plainest way to taste wagyu at Toki.
Wagyu Butter Black Beans pairs wagyu with mango, ginger and XO sauce, a Hong Kong sauce made with dried seafood, chili and garlic. It is new to the menu, and Toki’s Instagram says it began as a limited-time dish before the kitchen decided to keep it.
The Wagyu ‘Shen Jing’ Bun is a starter of wagyu with crispy duck skin, quail egg, a spicy topping and mint. Toki’s Instagram shows each bun crowned with a fried quail egg.
The Toki Pink Puff Dumpling is Toki’s own dim sum of wagyu and beetroot, new to the menu. It is the only one of the nine wagyu and Angus dishes without chilli on its allergen list, which makes it the mildest way to try wagyu. For the rest of the dim sum, read the types of dim sum at Toki.
Which Angus beef dishes does Toki serve?
Toki serves Angus beef in five dishes: Crispy Szechuan Angus Beef and Black Bean Angus from the land, the Angus Beef Dumpling in the dim sum, the Baked Smoked Angus Bun among the starters, and Stir-fried Green Bean with Angus Beef.
Crispy Szechuan Angus Beef comes with chili, spring onion and a Szechuan glaze, and Toki’s Instagram describes it as wok-tossed with chili and spring onion. It is the only one of the nine beef dishes with tree nuts on its allergen list. There is more on it in the Szechuan beef guide.
Black Bean Angus brings together beef, mushroom, green capsicum and black bean sauce, the Cantonese pairing of beef and peppers. A reel on Toki’s Instagram follows it from the heat of the wok to the plate.
- Angus Beef Dumpling: Angus beef with black garlic, garlic aged slowly until the cloves turn black, soft and sweet. New to the menu.
- Baked Smoked Angus Bun: smoked short rib, spicy creamy sauce, chili and spring onion.
- Stir-fried Green Bean with Angus Beef: green beans, Angus beef and sweet chili sauce. New to the menu, and a lighter way to eat Angus.
Prices change with the monthly menu, so see current prices on the menu.
Which beef dish should you order at Toki?
For two people, order one wagyu dish and one Angus dish and share them, for example the Black Pepper Wagyu Tenderloin with the Crispy Szechuan Angus Beef. You taste the soft richness of wagyu next to the crisp, spicy side of Angus.
- Mildest: the Toki Pink Puff Dumpling, the only one of the nine without chilli on its allergen list.
- Nut allergy: skip the Crispy Szechuan Angus Beef, the only one with tree nuts listed.
- With rice: beef in a sauce goes well with plain rice, so add Vegetable Fried Rice.
Where can you eat wagyu in Jeddah?
At Toki, on King Abdulaziz Road in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah, where wagyu comes in four dishes, from dim sum to a black pepper main, alongside five Angus dishes.
See opening hours and directions, book your table online or call reservations on 050 466 5658.
Quick answers
What does wagyu mean?
Wagyu means Japanese cattle. It refers to four Japanese breeds known for heavily marbled beef.
Is A5 the best wagyu grade?
A5 is the top grade in the Japanese system: A for yield and 5 for quality, which needs a marbling score of 8 to 12.
What grade is the wagyu at Toki?
The menu does not state a grade or origin for its wagyu, so ask your server.
Is Toki halal?
Yes. Toki runs a halal kitchen.
