Akaushi beef is a regional brand of wagyu raised in the mountainous areas around Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture. In fact, the image of Cattle grazing on the grasslands that spread out below the Aso caldera is symbolic of the Aso region. The cattle, which eat large amounts of wild grass as they graze in the sunshine, yield a lean beef with well-balanced marbling. Akaushi is sometimes called “healthy beef” because the lean cuts contain abundant amounts of taurine, a type of amino acid. Full of both umami and nutrients, Akaushi beef cattle are strictly managed to ensure the brand name beef’s traceability. One popular way to eat Akaushi beef is the Akaushi-don, or thinly sliced strips of medium-rare beef served on a bowl of white rice.