At the beginning of 2022, Tomáš Karpíšek went on an inspirational trip to Japan, alongside the butchers from Amaso. One of their destinations was the Torikai Chikusan farm, in the northern part of the southern tip of the country. It’s famous for the breeding and production of world-renowned wagyu – local farmers take care of around 450 animals of this breed.

The approach and knowledge of the farmers, together with the delicate, buttery taste of the beef from Tottori, enchanted the Czech butchers so much that they immediately wanted to establish cooperation with the farm. And it worked. A year later, the first hundred kilograms of this exceptional meat arrived in Prague, and along with it, a three-person delegation from the Torikai Chikusan farm.

"If Tomáš Karpíšek and the people from Ambiente hadn't come to Tottori, we probably wouldn't have thought of sending our wagyu to the Czech Republic. In the end, it all makes sense – Mr. Torikai is writing a similar story to Amaso," Rumi, assistant to Mr. Kengo Torikai, who sells wagyu from the Torikai Chikusan family farm, admitted during the visit.

Vlasta Lacina, head of Amaso, Ambiente's main meat supplier, sees things very similarly: "Personally getting to know those who raise and care for the animals, and knowing how they do it, is an important part of our approach." The Torikai farm is no different. I dare say that if we hadn't visited and met Mr. Torikai directly, we wouldn't be bringing any wagyu to us today.''

Just as the Japanese hosted a Czech visit before, people from Ambiente welcomed a group from Tottori. Together they went to the Krontorád family farm near Litomyšl, where they breed Czech wagyu, visited the Amaso slaughterhouse and production in Jenč, sat down together at the table in Čestr and Kuchyn and had breakfast at the Myšák confectionery.

The chefs of other Ambiente restaurants also had the honour of meeting Mr. Torikai. In the UM education and innovation centre on Národní trida, he showed everyone – theoretically and in practice – how Japanese wagyu is handled, and how it tastes best. But he started from the ground up:

"Cows are easily subject to stress, which negatively affects the quality of meat and fat. Therefore, it really matters how the animals feel. And so we keep the calf close to the mother for its entire life, even though that’s not the standard in Japan," assistant Rumi explained. Most of the cows at Torikai Farm give birth up to ten times, after which their rations are changed to fatten them up, similarly to young steers. Although older meat has less fat and a stiffer structure, there is still demand for it.

For the Japanese, the evaluation received by the meat is of high importance, and they go into detail, measuring muscle size, structure, fibrousness and also the degree of marbling. Wagyu from Tottori , which the butchers from Amaso have transported to Prague, has earned the highest rating of A5, where the degree of marbling is 10-12, thanks to its distinctive – and aesthetic – marbling .

Vlasta, together with Radek Chaloupka, head butcher of Naše maso, are in close contact with the Torikai farm. According to them, regular communication is another essential element of long-term cooperation.

"It also helped us a lot that creative chefs from UM, Franta Skopec and Jirka Horák, later went to the Torikai farm for an internship. They spent a whole month on the farm and brought back a lot of new knowledge. I believe that we too will return to Japan soon, and continue to develop the partnership," concludes Vlasta.

Slice or steak?

While in the Czech Republic beef is usually prepared whole, stewed and cut into cubes, or grilled like a steak, the Japanese enjoy quickly grilled thin slices. It was this technique that Mr. Torikai taught the chefs.

Wagyu cut into slices of the thickness we are used to seeing, for example, with ham, is ready after only three seconds on each side in a hot pan. Chef Martin Zavoďan from Naše maso advises to coat the pan with a thin layer of beef tallow. A steak prepared this way is excellent on its own.

You can pay even greater tribute by adding the Japanese sauce that accompanies the wagyu slices in Naše maso: mix 4 parts sweet soy sauce, 1 part salty soy sauce and 1 part mirin vinegar. "When serving wagyu, it’s definitely worth preheating the plate, because the thin slices get cold very quickly and it would be an eternal shame for such an exclusive meat," advises Martin.

How to elevate an ordinary barbecue

With wagyu cut into half-centimetre-thick slices, marinate as you would a steak. Before grilling, let it sit for 10 minutes to bring it to room temperature after removing from the fridge, then sear the meat in the pan – half a minute on each side at the most. Then, let the steak rest in a warm place for no more than a minute and serve on a preheated plate.

If you go to Naše maso or browse the e-shop, you might be lucky enough to find ground wagyu for burgers on the menu.

Buttery taste, velvety texture

Soft, almost buttery and full of flavour! A characteristic that’s visible on the meat at first sight. The delicate taste and structure are revealed by the marbling – in this case, the more the better! Thanks to the fact that the meat contains less water and more fat than we are used to with normal beef, it remains uniformly tender.

The specific approach and care of the farmers lie behind the premium taste – in addition to the special feed mixtures, the fact that the calves stay with their mother for four whole months and drink mother's milk plays a big role. Even in the following months, the calves remain close to their "family member", kept in stables through which fresh air flows, where they can see their mother and feel her closeness.

Straight to the table

If, after this Japanese fairytale, you feel like sitting down at the table and being served, treat yourself to a wagyu experience at Naše maso or Kantýna. And if you’re buying meat to prepare at home, don’t forget to pick up the traditional Japanese sauce made from miso and soy sauce to go with it.