The Fancy Aldi Ground Beef That's Got Shoppers Confused

In the culinary world, the name "Wagyu" commands premium cost and premium respect in exchange for premium taste. The reason why Japanese Wagyu beef is so expensive is because there are strict regulations regarding breeding, raising and feeding the cows. That's why we were skeptical when we saw social media reports circulating the news that Aldi was selling packages of Wagyu ground beef for $4.99 per pound. 

The main reason that Aldi can sell ground Wagyu for such a low price (the regular high-fat blend of 73/27 ground beef was also $4.99 per pound) is because it's American Wagyu, not authentic Japanese Wagyu. The problem is, most shoppers don't know the difference. 

Take Reddit for example, where many comments mentioned how grinding Wagyu made no sense, or felt they were getting scammed into buying fake Japanese Wagyu. "The whole purpose of Wagyu is intramuscular fat for steak. If you grind it up you can control the fat content so there's really no point. Grinding up Japanese A5 Wagyu instead of grilling it as is would just be a waste of money," said one commenter.

Wagyu beef sold by many retailers in America is actually "American Wagyu," which comes from crossbred cattle raised in the U.S. that are not exactly the same as their pure-bred Japanese counterparts. Authentic Japanese Wagyu must be imported from Japan, adding import taxes that raise the price even higher. On top of that, the rating system for Wagyu beef in the U.S. is not as strict as in Japan, which means the beef is lower quality.

What's even more confusing for shoppers is that unless a product is labeled "100% Wagyu," you run the risk of purchasing "Wagyu-style" beef or a mixed beef product. Strict regulations govern the labeling of Wagyu beef, but labeling may not always be transparent to consumers. It can be hard to tell what percentage of the beef comes from real Wagyu cows (American or Japanese), which is a legit problem. (For those concerned about buying authentic Japanese Wagyu, look for the farm or region of origin on the package.)

All that being said, there were many positive reviews on Reddit for Aldi's ground Wagyu. If you like a higher-fat ground beef and are looking to make smash burgers, flavor-packed meatloaf, or meatballs, this option is worth picking up.