Authentic Hokkaido taste in Shorthorn beef

Japanese Shorthorn cows are being raised in the sustainable pasture areas of Shizunai Livestock Farm. At this research facility owned by Hokkaido University, the cattle are being fed with fodder composed of Hokkaido grass and grains, producing “100% Hokkaido” beef. Through collaborations with local enterprises, the public can now have a taste at the meat.

Two 100% Hokkaido beef dishes prepared at Keio Prelia Hotel, Sapporo. Left: Skirt steak and cow heart confit with Prelia traditional demi-glace sauce yama-wasabi style (Photo by Aprilia Gunawan). Right: “Gyu” beef burger (Photo by Mai Saito).

A Hokkaido-based vendor, WACCA Table, helped advance the promotion of the beef. The first public sale of Shizunai’s shorthorn beef cuts was at the “Hokkaido University Fair” in April 2022. Held at Kita Kitchen Aurora Town, Sapporo, this 6-day fair sold “Hokudai Brand” products (Hokudai is the contracted form of  Hokkaido University in Japanese). These products utilize resources that are rooted in Hokkaido University’s research in the products’ conception, development, and promotion. Sweets made of cow’s milk raised in the University’s experimental farm, and apple cider made of apples grown in Yoichi Orchard (another research facility belonging to Hokkaido University) are more examples of the Hokudai Brand, among others.

Left to right: Executive Vice-President Takao Masuda, President Kiyohiro Houkin, Manabu Sasaki (WACCA Table) at Hokkaido University Fair in April 2022. (Photo by Yu Kikuchi)

The Shorthorn beef arrives on plates in the form of cooked dishes as prepared by Kimihiro Narita, a head chef at Keio Prelia Hotel, Sapporo. Cooked with French culinary techniques, two Shorthorn beef-based dishes are available in the hotel’s breakfast restaurant from July 1^st-July 31^st, 2022. Together with the Farm’s director, Associate Professor Masahito Kawai, Narita dedicated hours of researching, getting to know the characteristics of the beef, to come up with the perfect recipe that could bring out the “Hokkaido-ness” out of the meat.

Left to right: President Kiyohiro Houkin, Head Chef Kimihiro Narita, and Associate Professor Masato Kawai. (Photo by Mai Saito)

Related links:

Shizunai Livestock Farm, Hokkaido University:

https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/blog/fields-of-knowledge-livestock-research-in-the-forest/ (Research Highlight article)
https://www.fsc.hokudai.ac.jp/lf/en/ (Farm’s website)

WACCA Table:

https://www.tankakubeef.com/

Keio Prelia Hotel, Sapporo:

https://www.keioprelia.co.jp/sapporo/en/

Institute for the Promotion of Business-Regional Collaboration, Hokkaido University:

https://www.mcip.hokudai.ac.jp/en/

Written by Aprilia Agatha Gunawan