The Silicon Review ^Asia

Recently, Top Tier Foods, a popular food manufacturer from Canada, made an announcement that it has managed to create a plant-based wagyu successfully. This has divided the Japanese food industry, gathering mixed reactions. Blair Bullus, President of Top Tier Foods, stated that the plant-based wagyu would make its debut in Japan by the end of the year, and the firm is confident that it will use locally-sourced ingredients and production to reach the local consumers. The plant-based alternative for wagyu is made from soy, an ingredient that has a heavy influence in the Japanese culture. The company has partnered with various Japanese producers to manufacture and achieve scalability locally.

By sourcing products and manufacturing locally, the brand will not seem alien to the consumers. This was the main idea behind having operations in Japan. The flavor will also be more authentic due to the use of various ingredients like sesame, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and the soy base along with the traditional cooking techniques of Japan. The plant-based wagyu will be launched in the form of teriyaki because the dish is quite popular in the country, and this style is easily recognizable. The company will manufacture the beef in the form of a whole strip instead of ground form to give it a better texture.