A Look into Korean Beef: Hanwoo

With its tender texture, fans of red meat should look no further than Korean beef. Used in a number of dishes, Koreans have been savouring this succulent meat for years. 

Korean beef is also known as ‘Han-U’ or ‘Hanwoo’. The breed of cattle is called Hanwoo and is native to Korea. These cattle have been raised in Korea since 2,000 B.C. primarily for draught and occasionally for sacrificial rites. Due to the low number of cattle in Korea, consumption of beef was low until the economy started to enjoy good growth.

Even though Korean cattle, in general, are known as ‘Hanwoo’ (or Han-u/Hanu), the name applies to the most common type of cow, which has a brown coat colour.

How is Korean Beef Different from Other Beef?

Korean beef has more oleic acid (a type of fatty acids) than other beef, which informs the taste of meat. It is known to have a more genuine flavour than other beef. Hanwoo is regarded as a premium beef, because of its high palatability and desired chewiness.

Besides the flavour, the amount of marbling (the white lines you see in your raw beef) is the main determiner of a beef’s quality. Marbling refers to the amount of intramuscular fat present in the specific beef part.

Why Hanwoo?

Hanwoo is known to have relatively superior fertility, but their slow growth rate and reduced milking yield lowered the total beef production. The Korean cattle industry has aimed to increase the cattle number to meet the growing demand for beef in Korea. With the improvement of the economy, more palatable beef is increasing in demand.

The Hoengseong county in Korea is best known for its Hanwoo cattle, where the environment is well suited for cattle farming.

One of the best-loved meals is Korean barbeque—find out more on how to savour the Korean beef on the grill.